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These resources remain entire, when the days of trouble come. They remain with him in sickness, as in health; in poverty, as in the midst of riches; in his dark and folitary hours, no less than when surrounded with friends and gay fociety. From the glare of profperity, he can, without dejection, withdraw into the fhade. Excluded from several advantages of the world, he may be obliged to retreat into a narrower circle; but within that circle he will find many comforts left His chief pleasures were always of the calm, innocent, and temperate kind; and over thefe, the changes of the world have the least power. His mind is a kingdom to him; and he can ftill enjoy it. The world did not bestow upon him all his enjoyments; and therefore it is not in the power of the world, by its most cruel attacks, to carry them all away.

CHAP. V.

PATHETIC PIECES.

SECTION I.

Rome faved by female virtue.

BLAIR.

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CORIOLANUS was a diftinguished Roman fenator and general, who had rendered eminent fervices to the republic. But thefe fervices were no fecurity against envy, and popu lar prejudofes. He was at length treated with great feverity and ingratitude, by the fenate and people of Rome; and obliged to leave his country to preferve his life. Of a haughty and indignant spirit, he refolved to avenge himself; and, with this view, applied to the Volfcians, the enemies of Rome, and tendered them his services against his native country. The offer was cordially embraced, and Coriolanus was made general of the Volfcian army. He recovered from the Romans all the towns they had taken from the Volfci; carried by affault several cities in Latium: and led his troops within five miles of the city of Rome. After feveral unfuccefsful embaffies from the fenate, all hope of pacifying the injured exile appeared to be extinguished; and the fole bufinefs at Rome was to prepare, with the utmoft diligence, for fuftaining a fiege. The young and able bodied men had inftantly the guard of the gates and trenches affigned to them; while thofe of the veterans,

who, though exempt by their age from bearing arms, were yet capable of fervice, undertook the defence of the ramparts. The women, in the mean while, terrified by these movements, and the impending danger, into a neglect of their wonted decorum, ran tumultuously from their houfes to the temples. Every fanctuary, and efpecially the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, refounded with the wailings and loud fupplications of women, proftrate before the ftatues of their divinities. In this general confternation and distress, Valeria, (fifter of the famous Valerius Poplicola,) as if moved by a divine impulfe, fuddenly took her ftand upon the top of the steps of the temple of Jupiter, affembled the women about her, and having first exhorted them not to be terrified by the greatnefs of the prefent danger, confidently declared, "That there was yet hope for the republic; that its preservation depended upon them, and upon their performance of the duty they owed their country "-" Alas!” cried one of the company, "what resource can there be in the weakness of wretched women, when our bravest men, our ableft warriors themselves defpair ?"—" It is not by the fword, nor by ftrength of arm," replied Valeria," that we are to prevail; thefe belong not to our fex. Soft moving words must be our weapons and our force. Let us all, in our mourning attire, and accompanied by our children, go and entreat Veturia, the mother of Coriolanus, to intercede with her fon for our common country. Veturia's prayers will bend his foul to pity. Haughty and implacable as he has hitherto appeared, he has not a heart fo cruel and obdurate, as not to relent, when he shall fee his mother, his revered, his beloved mother, a weeping suppliant at his feet.” This motion being univerfaliy applauded, the whole train of women took their way to Veturia's houfe. Her fon's wife, Volumnia, who was fitting with her when they arriv ed, and was greatly surprised at their coming, haftily asked them the meaning of fo extraordinary an appearance. "What is it," said she, “what can be the motive that has brought fo numerous a company of vifiters to this house of forrow?"

Valeria then addreffed herself to the mother: "It is to you, Veturia, that thefe women have recourfe in the extreme peril, with which they and their children are threatened. They entreat, implore, conjure you, to compaffion. ate their diftrefs, and the diftrefs of our common country. Suffer not Rome to become a prey to the Volfci, and our

enemies to triumph over our liberty. Go to the camp of Coriolanus take with you Volumnia and her two fons: let that excellent wife join her interceffion to yours. Permit these women with their children to accompany you; they will all caft themselves at his feet. O Veturia, conjure him to grant peace to his fellow-citizens. Ceafe not to beg till you have obtained. So good a man can never withstand your tears. Our only hope is in you. Come, then, Veturia: the danger preffes; you have no time for deliberation; the enterprife is worthy of your virtue ; Heaven will crown it with fuccefs; Rome fhall once more owe its prefervation to our fex. You will justly acquire to yourself an immortal fame, and have the pleasure to make every one of us a fharer in your glory."

Veturia, after a fhort filence, with tears in her eyes, anfwered : "Weak indeed is the foundation of your hope, Valeria, when you place it in the aid of two miserable wo men. We are not wanting in affection to our country, nor need we any remonftrance or entreaties to excite our zeal for its prefervation. It is the power only of being ferviceable that fails us. Ever fince that unfortunate hour, when the people in their madness so unjustly banished Coriolanus, his heart has been no less eftranged from his family than from his country. You will be convinced of this fad truth by his own words to us at parting. When he returned home from the affembly, where he had been condemned, he found us in the depth of affliction, bewailing the miferies that were fure to follow our being deprived of fo dear a fon, and fo excellent a husband. We had his children upon our knees. He kept himself at a distance from us; and, when he had a while food filent, motionless as a rock, his eyes fixed, and without fhedding a tear; 'Tis done,' he faid, O mother, and thou Volumnia, the best of wives, to you Marcius is no more. I am banifhed hence for my affection to my country, and the fervices I have done it. I go this inftant; and I leave forever a city, where all good men are profcribed. Support this blow of fortune with the magnanimity that becomes women of your high rank and virtue. I commend my children to your care. Educate them in a manner worthy of you, and of the race from which they come. Heaven grant, they may be more fortunate than their father, and never fall fhort of him in virtue; and may you in them find your confolation !Farewell.'

"We started up at the found of this word, and with loud cries of lamentation ran to him to receive his last embraces. I led his elder fon by the hand, Volumnia had the younger in her arms. He turned his eyes from us, and putting us back with his hand, Mother,' faid he, from this moment you have no fon; our country has taken from you the ftay of your old age.-Nor to you, Volumnia, will Marcius be henceforth a husband; mayeft thou be happy with another, more fortunate! My dear children, you have loft your father.'

"He faid no more, but inftantly broke away from us. He departed from Rome without fettling his domestic affairs, or leaving any orders about them; without money, without fervants, and even without letting us know to what part of the world he would direct his fteps. It is now the fourth year fince he went away; and he has never inquired after his family, nor, by letter or meffenger, given us the leaft account of himself; fo that it feems as if his mother and his wife were the chief objects of that general hatred which he fhows to his country.

"What fuccefs then can you expect from our entreaties to a man fo implacable? Can two women bend that stubborn heart, which even all the minifters of religion were not able to foften? And indeed what fhall I say to him? What can I reasonably defire of him? that he would pardon ungrateful citizens, who have treated him as the vileft criminal? that he would take compaffion upon a furious, unjuft populace, which had no regard for his innocence ? And that he would betray a nation, which has not only opened him an afylum, but has even preferred him to her most illuftrious citizens in the command of her armies? With what face can I ask him to abandon fuch generous protectors, and deliver himself again into the hands of his most bitter enemies? Can a Reman mother, and a Roman wife with decency exact from a fon and a husband compliances which muft difhonour him before both gods and men? Mournful circumftance, in which we have not power to hate the most formidable enemy of our country! Leave us therefore to our unhappy destiny; and do not defire us to make it more unhappy by an action that may cast a blemish upon our virtue."

The women made no answer but by their tears and entreaties. Some embraced her knees; others befeeched Volumnia to join her prayers to theirs; all conjured Vetu

ria not to refuse her country this laft affistance. Overcome at length by their urgent folicitations, fhe promised to do as they defired.

The very next day all the moft illuftrious of the Roman women repaired to Veturia's houfe. There they presently mounted a number of chariots, which the consuls had ordered to be made ready for them, and without any guard, took the way to the enemy's camp.

Coriolanus, perceiving from afar that long train of chariots, fent out fome horsemen to learn the defign of it. They quickly brought him word, that it was his mother, his wife, and a great number of other women, and their children, coming to the camp. He doubtlefs conjectured what views the Romans had in fo extraordinary a deputation; that this was the laft expedient of the senate; and, in his own mind, he determined not to let himself be moved. But he reckoned upon a favage inflexibility that was not in his nature; for, going out with a few attendants to receive the women, he no fooner beheld Veturia, attired in mourning, her eyes bathed in tears, and with a countenance and motion that spoke her finking under a load of forrow, than he ran hastily to her; and not only calling her, mother, but adding to that word the most tender epithets, embraced her, wept over her, and held her in his arms to prevent her falling. The like tendernefs he presently after expreffed to his wife, highly commending her difcretion in having conftantly remained with his mother, fince his departure from Rome. And then, with the warmest paternal affection, he careffed his children.

When fome time had been allowed to those filent tears of joy, which often flow plenteously at the sudden and unexpected meeting of perfons dear to each other, Veturia entered upon the bufinefs fhe had undertaken. After many forcible appeals to his understanding and patriotism, fhe exclaimed, "What frenzy, what madness of anger transports my fon! Heaven is appeafed by fupplications, vows and facrifices! fhall mortals be implacable? Will Marcius fet no bounds to his refentment? But allowing that thy enmity to thy country is too violent to let thee liften to her petition for peace; yet be not deaf, my fon, be not inexorable to the prayers and tears of thy mother. Thou dreadeft the very appearance of ingratitude towards the Volfci; and fhall thy mother have reafon to accuse thee of being ungrateful? Call to mind the tender care I took of thy infan

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