ment, to wit, the monarchical. And a fenate consisting of men advanced in years, and grown wise by experience, though infirm of body, confulted with their kings upon all important matters, and, on account of their age, and care of their coun try, were called Fathers. Afterwards, when kingly power, which was originally established for the prefervation of liberty, and the advantage of the ftate, came to degenerate into lawless tyranny, they found it neceffary to alter the form of government, and to put the supreme power into the hands of two chief magiftrates, to be held for one year only; hoping, by this contrivance, to prevent the bad effects naturally arifing from the exorbitant licentioufnefs of princes, and the indefeasible tenure by which they generally imagine they hold their fovereignty, &c. [Sal.' BELL. CATILINAR.] The reader is, once for all, defired to take notice, that I have not fcrupled to alter both the fenfe and the words in many, if not most, of the following paffages, taken both from the ancients and the moderns. For my defign was to put together a set of leffons useful for practice, which did not restrict me to the very words of any author. I have endeavoured to make each leffon a complete piece; which obliged me to infert matter of my own. I have excluded improper fentiments, and have fubftituted modern expreffions, for fome antiquated ones, which I thought young people would be puzzled to underftand; and I have inferted a few fancies, which occurred to me in copying out fome of the paffages, to render them more diverting to youth, whofe tafte long experience has given me fome knowledge of. NARRA- D II. NARRATION. AMON and Pythias, of the Pythagorean fect in philofophy, lived in the time of Dionyfius the tyrant of Sicily. Their mutual friendship was fo ftrong, that they were ready to die for one another. One of the two, (for it is not known which) being condemned to death by the tyrant, obtained leave to go into his own country, to fettle his affairs, on condition that the other should confent to be imprisoned in his stead, and put to death for him, if he did not return before the day of execution. The attention of every one, and especially of the tyrant himself, was excited to the highest pitch; as every body was curious to fee what should be the event of DOUBTING. fo ftrange an affair. When the time was almoft elapfed, and he, who was gone, did not appear, the rafonefs of the other, whofe fanguine friendship had put him upon running fo feemingly defperate a bazard, was univerfally blamed. But he ftill declared that he had not the least shadow of doubt in his mind, of his friend's fidelity. The event fhewed how well he knew him. He came in due time, and furrendered himself to that fate, which he had no reason to think he should efcape; and which he did not defire to escape by leaving CONFI- COURAGE. his friend to fuffer it in his place. Such fidelity Softened even the favage heart of Dionyfius himself. He pardoned the condemned. He gave the two friends to one another; and begged, that they would take himself in for a third. [Val. Max. Cic.] III. NARRATION. TION. IONYSIUS, the tyrant of Sicily, fhewed NARRA how far he was from being happy, even whilft he abounded in riches, and all the pleasures, which riches can procure. Damocles, one of his flatterers, was complimenting him upon his power, his treasures, and the magnificence of his royal state, and affirming, that no monarch ever was greater, or happier, than he. "Have you QUESTION a mind, Damocles," fays the king, " to tafte ING. "this happiness, and know, by experience, what "my enjoyments are, of which you have fo high "an idea?" Damocles gladly accepted the offer. Upon which the king ordered, that a royal banquet fhould be prepared, and a gilded touch placed for him, covered with rich embroidery, and fide-boards loaded with gold and filver plate of immenfe value. Pages of extraordinary beauty were ordered to wait on him at table; and to obey his commands with the greatest readiness, and the most profound fubmiffion. Neither oint E 2 ments, FEAR. TREPIDA TION, or NARRA g ments, chaplets of flowers, nor rich perfumes were wanting. The table was loaded with the most exquifite delicacies of every kind. Damocles fancied himself amongst the Gods. In the midst of all his happiness, he fees let down from the roof, exactly over his neck, as he lay indulging himself in state, a glittering fword hung by a single hair". The fight of deftruction thus threatening him from on high, foon put a stop to his joy and revelling. The pomp of his attendance, and the glitter of the carved plate, gave him no longer any pleafure. He dreads to stretch forth his band to the table. He throws off the chaplet of rofes. He baftens to remove from his dangercus fituation, and at last begs the king to restore him to his former humble condition, having no defire to enjoy any longer fuch a dreadful kind of happiness. [Cic. Tusc. QUEST.] THE prætor IV. NARRATION. a had given up to the triumvir, a woman of fome rank, condemned for capital crime, to be executed in the prifon. He, who had charge of the execution, in confidera tion The ancients, every body knows, lay on couches at table. This may be spoken with as much of the action proper to fear (See Fear, in the ESSAY, pag. 17.) as can be conveniently applied. carry tion of her birth, did not immediately put her to death. He even ventured to let her daughter have access to her in prifon; carefully fearching her, however, as fhe went in, left the fhould with her any fuftenance; concluding, that, in a few days, the mother muft, of course, perish for want, and that the feverity of putting a woman of family to a violent death, by the hand of the executioner, might thus be avoided. Some days paffing in this manner, the triumvir begun to wonder that the daughter ftill came to vifit her mother, and could by no means comprehend, how the latter fhould live fo long. Watching, therefore, carefully, what paffed in the interview between them, he found, to his great aftonishment', WONDER. that the life of the mother had been, all this while, fupported by the milk of the daughter, who came to the prison every day, to give her mother her breafts to fuck. The strange contrivance between them was represented to the judges, and procured a pardon for the mother. Nor was it thought fufficient to give to fo dutiful a daughter, the forfeited life of her condemned mother, but they were both maintained afterwards by a penfion fettled on them for life. And the ground, upon which the prison ftood, was confecrated, and a temple to Filial Piety built upon it. What will not filial duty contrive, or what DECLAMAS hazards, will it not run; if it will put a daughter TION. E 3 1 See Admiration, in the ESSAY, pag. 22, upon |