fence-Harkye, friend! fays he, when was your mother in Rome? Never, an pleafe you! replied the countryman, but my father has been here many a time and oft. The anecdote of the old foldier is ftill more to his credit: He folicited the emperor to defend him in a fuit; Auguftus fent his own advocate into court; the foldier was diffatisfied, and faid to the emperor -I did not fight for you by proxy at AlliumAuguftus felt the reproof, and condefcended to his requeft in perfon. When Pacuvius Taurus greedily folicited a largefs from the emperor, and to urge him to the greater liberality added, that all the world would have it, that he had made him a very bountiful donation - But you know better, faid Auguftus, than to believe the world-and difmiffed the fycophant without his errand. I fhall mention one more cafe, where, by a very courtly evafion, he parried the folicitation of his captain of the guard, who had been cafhiered, and was petitioning the emperor to allow him his pay; telling him that he did not afk that indulgence for the fake of the money which might accrue to him, but that he might have it to fay he had refigned his commiffion, and not been cafhiered - If that be all your reafon, fays the emperor, tell the the world that you have received it, and I will not deny that I have paid it. Vatinius, who was noted to a proverb as a common flanderer, and particularly obnoxicas for his fcurrility against Cicero, was pelted by the populace in the amphitheatre, whilit he was giving them the Gladiators: He complained to the Ediles of the infult, and got an edit forbidding the people to caft any thing into the area but apples. An arch fellow brought a fu rious large fir-apple to the famous lawyer Ca cellius, and demanded his opinion upon the edict. -I am of opinion, fays Caftellius, that your firapple is literally and legally an appir, with this provifo however, that you intend to throw it a Vatinius's head. As there is fome danger in making too free with old jokes, I fhall hold my hand for the prefent; but if these should fuccced in beleg acceptable to my readers, I fhall not be afraid of meeting Mr. Jofeph Miller and his moder witticifms with my antients. In that cafe I fhall not despair of being able to lay before the public a veritable Roman newspaper, compounded of events in the days of Julius Cæfar; By what happy chance I traced this valuable relick, and with what pains I poffefied myfcif of it, may be matter of future explanation: I have I have the fatisfaction however to premise to the reader, that it is written with great freedom, and as well fprinkled with private anecdotes, as any of the present day, whofe agreeable familiarity is fo charming to every body but the parties concerned: It has also a good dash of the dramatic; and as fome faftidious people have been inclined to treat our intelligencers and reviewers with a degree of neglect bordering upon contempt, I fhall have pleasure in fhewing that they have claffical authority for all their quirks and conceits, and that they are all written in the true quaint fpirit of criticifm: It is to be lamented that the Roman theatre furnishes no ladies to match the heroines of our stage; but I can produce fome encomiums upon Laberius, Rofcius and the famous Publius Syrus, which would not be unapplicable to fome of our present capital actors I am forry to be obliged to confefs, that they were not in the habit of speaking epilogues in those days; but I have a substitute in a prologue written and spoken by Decimus Laberius, which I am tempted to throw out as a lure to my newspaper; but I muft first explain upon what occafion it was compofed. : This Laberius was a Roman knight of good II family, family, and a man withal of high spirit and pretenfions, but unfortunately he had a talent for the drama: He read his own plays better than any man then living could act them, for neither Garrick nor Henderson were yet born. P. Clodius, the fine gentleman and rake of the age, had the indecorum to press Laberius to come forward on the public stage, and take the principal character in one of his own plays: Laberius was indig nant, and Clodius proceeded to menaces :-D. your worst, fays the Roman knight, you can but fend me to Dyracchium and back again-proudly intimating that' he would fuffer the like banifhment with Cicero rather than consent to his demand; for acting was not then the amufement of people of fashion, and private theatres were not thought of. Julius Cæfar was no less captivated with Laberius's talents than Clodius had been, and being a man not apt to be discouraged by common difficulties, took up the same folicitation, and affailed our Roman knight, who was now fixty years of age, and felt his powers in their decline: Conscious of this decline no less than of his own dignity, he refifted the degrading request; he interceded, he implored of Cæsar to excuse him: It was to no purpose, Cafar had made it his point, and his point he would carry: The word of Cafar was law, and Laberius, VOL. III. driven S driven out of all his defences, was obliged to fubmit and comply. Cæfar makes a grand spectacle for all Rome; bills are given out for a play of Laberius, and the principal part is announced to be performed by the author himself : The theatre is thronged with spectators; all Rome is prefent, and Decimus Laberius prefents himself on the stage, and addreffes the audience in the following prologue : "Prologue by DECIMUS LABERIUS. "Oftrong Neceffity! of whose swift course "I fink my knighthood and afcend the stage. "O Fortune! fickle fource of good and ill, "Why |