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now no time for vain lamentations, she ran quite through the city to the fea-fide. Pompey embraced her without fpeaking a word, and for fome time fupported her in his arms in filent despair.

Having taken in Cornelia, he now continued his courfe, fteering to the fouth-eaft, and stopping no longer than was necessary to take in provisions at the ports that occurred in his paffage. He was at last prevailed upon to apply to Ptolemy king of Egypt, to whofe father Pompey had been a confiderable benefactor. Ptolemy, who was as yet a minor, had not the government in his own hands, but he and his kingdom were under the direction of Photinus an eunuch, and Theodotus a master of the art of speaking. These advised that Pompey fhould be invited on fhore, and there flain; and, accordingly, Achillas, the commander of the forces, and Septimius, by birth a Roman, and who had formerly been a centurion in Pompey's army, were appointed to carry their opinion into execution. Being attended by three or four more, they went into a little bark, and rowed off from land towards Pompey's fhip that lay about a mile from the fhore. Pompey, after taking leave of Cornelia, who wept at his departure, and having repeated two verfes of Sophocles, fignifying, that he who trufts his freedom to a tyrant from that moment becomes a flave, gave his hand to Achillas, and stept into the bark, with only two attendants of his own. They had now rowed from the ship a good way, and, as during that time they all kept a profound filence, Pompey, -willing to begin the difcourfe, accofted Septimius, whofe face he recollected. "Methinks, friend," cried he, "you and I were once fellow-foldiers together." Septimius gave only a nod with his head, without uttering, a word, or inftancing the least civility. Pompey, therefore, took out a paper, on which he had minuted a fpeech he intended to make to the king, and began: reading it. In this manner they approached the fhore; and Cornelia, whofe concern had never suffered her to lofe fight of her husband, began to conceive hope, when the perceived the people on the strand crowding down along the coafts, as if willing to receive him but her hopes were foon destroyed; for that inftant, as Pompey

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rofe, fupporting himself upon his freed-man's arm, Septimius ftabbed him in the back, and was inftantly fe conded by Achillas. Pompey, perceiving his death inevitable, only difpofed himself to meet it with decency; and, covering his face with his robe, without fpeaking a word, with a figh refigned himself to his fate. At this horrid fight, Cornelia fhrieked fo loud as to be heard to the fhore; but the danger the herself was in did not allow the mariners time to look on: they immediately fet fail, and, the wind proving favourable, fortunately they escaped the purfuit of the Egyptian gallies. In the mean time, Pompey's murderers having cut off his head, caused it to be embalmed, the better to preferve its features, defigning it for a prefent to Cæfar. The body was thrown naked on the strand, and exposed to the view of all those whofe curiofity led them that way. However, his faithful freed man Philip ftill kept near it; and when the crowd was difperfed, he washed it in the fea and looking round for materials to burn it with, he perceived the wreck of a fithing-boat; of which he compofed a pile. While he was thus piously employed, he was accosted by an old Roman foldier who had served ander Pompey in his youth. "Who art thou," said he, "that art making thefe humble preparations for Pompey's funeral?" Philip having anfwered that he was one of his freed-men, "Alas," replied the foldier, "permit me to share in this honour alfo: among all the miferies of my exile, it will be my laft fad comfort, that I have been able to affift at the funeral of my old commander, and touch the body of the braveft general that ever Rome produced." After this they both joined in giving the corpfe the laft rites; and, collecting his athes, buried them under a little rifing earth, fcraped together with their hands; over which was afterwards placed the following infcription: "He whofe merits deferve a temple, can now fcarce find a tomb.”

VI. Character of King Alfred.

THE merit of this prince, both in private and public life, may, with advantage, be fet in oppofition to that of any monarch or citizen which the annals of any nation, or any age, can present to us. He feems, indeed,

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to be the complete model of that perfect character, which, under the denomination of a fage or wife man, the philofophers have been fond of delineating, rather as a fiction of their imagination, than in hopes of ever seeing it reduced to practice: fo happily were all his virtues tempered together, fo juftly were they blended, and fo powerfully did each prevent the other from exceeding its proper bounds! He knew how to conciliate the boldest enterprife with the coolest moderation; the most obsti. nate perfeverance with the eafieft flexibility; the most fevere justice with the greatest lenity; the most vigorous command with the greatest affability of deportment; the highest capacity and inclination for science with the most fhining talents for action. His civil and military virtues are almoft equally the objects of our admiration; excepting only that the former, being more rare among prin ces, as well as more ufeful, feem chiefly to challenge our applause. Nature alfo, as if defirous that fo bright a production of her skill fhould be fet in the faireft light,. had bestowed on him all bodily accomplishments; vigour of limbs, dignity of fhape and air, and a pleasant, engaging, and open countenance. Fortune alone, by throwing him into that barbarous age, deprived him of hiftorians worthy to transmit his fame to pofterity; and we wish to fee him delineated in more lively colours, and with more particular ftrokes, that we may at least per ceive fome of thofe fmall fpecks and blemishes, from which, as a man, it is impoffible he could be entirely exempted.

VII. Awkwardness in Company.

WHEN an awkward fellow first comes into a room he attempts to bow ; and his fword, if he wears one, gets between his legs, and nearly throws him down. Confused and afhamed, he ftumbles to the upper end of the room, and feats himself in the very place where he fhould not. He there begins playing with his hat, which he prefently drops; and, recovering his hat, he lets fall his cane; and, in picking up his cane, down goes hat again. Thus, 'tis a confiderable time before he is adjusted.

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When his tea or coffee is handed to him, he spreads his handkerchief upon his knees, fcalds his mouth, drops either the cup or faucer, and spills the tea or coffee in his lap. At dinner, he feats himself upon the edge of the chair, at fo great a distance from the table, that he frequently drops his meat between his plate and his mouth; he holds his knife, fork, and spoon, differently from other people; eats with his knife, to the manifest danger of his mouth; and picks his teeth with his fork.

If he is to carve, he cannot hit the joint; but, in labouring to cut through the bone, fplafhes the fauce over every body's clothes. He generally daubs himself all over; his elbows are in the next perfon's plate; and he is up to the knuckles in foup and greafe. If he drinks, 'tis with his mouth full, interrupting the whole company with "To your good health, Sir," and " my fervice to you :" perhaps coughs in his glafs, and befprinkles the whole table.

He addreffes the company by improper titles, as, Sir for my lord; mistakes one name for another; and tells you of Mr What-d'ye-call-him, or You-know-who; Mrs Thingum, What's-her-name, or How-d'ye-call-her. He begins a ftory; but, not being able to finish it, breaks off in the middle, with-" I've forgot the rest."

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VIII. Virtue Man's higheft Intereft.

FIND myself existing upon a little fpot, furrounded every way by an immenfe unknown expanfion.Where am I? What fort of place do I inhabit? Is it exactly accommodated in every inftance to my convenience? Is there no excefs of cold, none of heat, to offend me? Am I never annoyed by animals, either of my own kind or a different? Is every thing fubfervient to me, as though I had ordered all myfelf?-No-nothing like it -the fartheft from it poffible. The world appears not, then, originally made for the private convenience of me alone?-It does not. But is it not poffible fo to accommodate it, by my own particular induftry? If to accommodate man and beaft, heaven and earth, if this be beyond me, it is not poffible. What confequence then follows or can there be any other than this-If I feek an interest of my own detached from that of others, I feek

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feek an intereft which is chimerical, and can never have existence.

How then muft I determine? Have I no interest at all? If I have not, I am a fool for ftaying here: 'tis a smoky house, and the fooner out of it the better. But why no intereft? Can I be contented with none but one separate and detached? Is a focial interest, joined with others, fuch an abfurdity as not to be admitted? The bee, the beaver, and the tribes of herding animals, are enow to convince me that the thing is fomewhere at least poffible. How, then, am I affured that 'tis not equally true of man? Admit it; and what follows? If so, then honour and juftice are my intereft; then the whole train of moral virtues are my intereft; without fome portion of which, not even thieves can maintain fociety.

But, farther ftill-I ftop not here-I pursue this focial intereft as far as I can trace my feveral relations. I pass from my own ftock, my own neighbourhood, my own nation, to the whole race of mankind, as difperfed throughout the earth. Am I not related to them all, by the mutual aids of commerce, by the general inter courfe of arts and letters, by that common nature of which we all participate?

Again-1 must have food and clothing. Without a proper genial warmth, I inftantly perifh. Am I not related, in this view, to the very earth itfelf? to the diftant fun, from whofe beams I derive vigour ? to that ftupendous courfe and order of the infinite hoft of hea ven, by which the times and seasons ever uniformly pafs on? Were this order once confounded, I could not probably furvive a moment; so absolutely do I depend on this common general welfare. What, then, have I to do, but to enlarge virtue into piety! Not only honour and justice, and what I owe to man, is my intereft; but gratitude alfo, acquiefcence, refignation, adoration, and all I owe to this preat polity, and its greater Governour our common Parent.

IX. On the Pleasure arifing from Objects of Sight. THOSE pleasures of the imagination which arife from the actual view and furvey of outward objects, all proceed from the figlit of what is great, uncommon, or beautiful.

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