vate centinel: there happened between thefe two men a difpute about an affair of love, which, upon fome aggravations, grew to an irreconcileable hatred. Unnion being the officer of Valentine, took all opportunities even to ftrike his rival, and profefs the fpite and revenge which moved him to it. The centinal bore it without refiftance; but frequently faid, he would die to be revenged of that tyrant. They had spent whole months in this manner, the one injuring, the other complaining; when, in the midst of this rage towards each other, they were commanded upon the attack of the caftle, where the corporal received a fhot in the thigh, and fell; the French preffing on, and he expecting to be trampled to death, called out to his enemy, "Ah, Valentine! can you leave me here ?" Valentine immediately ran back, and in the midst of a thick fire of the French, took the corporal upon his back, and brought him through all that danger as far as the abbey of Salfine, where a cannon ball took off his head: his body fell under his enemy whom he was carrying off. Unnion immediately forgot his wound, rofe up, tearing his hair, and then threw himself upon the bleeding carcafs, crying, "Ah Valentine! was it for me, who have fo barbaroufly ufed thee, that thou haft died? I will not live after thee." He was not by any means to be forced from the body, but was removed with it bleeding in his arms, and attended with tears by all their comrades who knew their enmity. When he was brought to a tent, his wounds were dreffed by force; but the next day, ftill calling upon Valentine, and lamenting his cruelties to him, he died in the pangs of remorfe.

Tatler.

§ 257. An Example of Hiftorical Narration from SALLUST.

The Trojans (if we may believe tradition) were the firit founders of the Roman commonwealth; who, under the conduct of Eneas, having made their efcape from their own ruined country, got to Italy, and there for fome time lived a rambling and unfettled life, without any fixed place of abode, among the natives, an uncultivated people, who had neither law nor regular government, but were wholly free from all rule or restraint. This mixed multitude, however, crowding together into one city, though originally different in extraction, language, and cuftoms, united into one body, in a furprisingly fhort fpace of time.

And as their little ftate came to be improved by additional numbers, by policy, and by extent of territory, and feemed likely to make a figure among the nations, according to the common courfe of things, the appearance of profperity drew epon them the envy of the neighbouring ftates; fo that the princes and people who bordered upon them, begun to feek occafions of quarelling with them. The alliances they could form were bat few: for mot of the neighbouring fates avoided enbroiling themfelves on their account. The Romans, feeing that they had nothing to truit to but their own conduct, found it neceffary to beflir themfelves with great diligence, to make vigorous preparations, to excite one another to face their enemies in the field, to hazard their lives in defence of their liberty, their country, and their families. And when, by their valour, they repulfed the enemy, they gave affiftance to their allies, and gained friendfhips by often giving, and feldom demanding, favours of that fort. They had, by this time, established a regular form of government, to wit, the monarchical. And a fenate, confifting of men advanced in years, and grown wife by experience, though infirm of body, confulted with their kings upon all important matters, and, on account of their age, and care of their country, were called fathers. Afterwards, when kingly power, which was originally eftablithed for the prefervation of liberty, and the advantage of the ftate, came to degenerate into lawlefs tyranny, they found it neceflary to alter the form of government, and to pat the fupreme 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 indefeafible tenure by which they generally imagine they hold their fovereignty, &c. Sall. Bell. Catilinar.

258. The Story of DAMON

PYTHIAS.

and

Damon 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

other should confent to be imprisoned in his ftead, and put to death for him, if he did not return before the day of execution. The attention of every one, and efpecially of the tyrant himfelf, was excited to the highest pitch; as every body was curious to fee what fhould be the event of fo strange an affair. When the time was almott elapsed, and he who was gone did not appear, the rathness of the other, whofe fanguine friendship had put him upon running fo feemingly defperate a hazard, was univerfally blamed. But he fill declared, that he had not the leaft fhadow of doubt in his mind of his friend's fidelity. event fhewed how well he knew him. He

The

as he lay indulging himfelf in state, a glittering fword hung by a fingle 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 ftretch forth his hand to the table. He throws off the chaplet of roles. He haftens to remove from his dangerous fituation, and at last begs the king to reftore him to his former humble condition, having no defire to enjoy any longer fuch a dreadful kind of happiness. Cic. Tufc. Quest.

Duty.

§ 259.

Val. Max. Cic.

The Story of DIONYSIUS the Tyrant. Dionyfius the tyrant of Sicily, fhewed how far he was from being happy, even whilst he had abounded in riches, and all the pleasures which riches can procure. Damocles, one of his flatterers, was complimenting him upon his power, his treafures, and the magnificence of his royal ftate, and affirming, that no monarch ever was greater or happier than he. Have you "a mind, Damocles," fays the king, to "tafte this happiness, and know by ex"perience, 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 couch placed for him, covered with rich embroidery, and fideboards 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 readinefs, and the most profound fubmiffion. Neither ointments, chaplets of flowers, nor rich perfumes were wanting. The table was loaded with the most exquifite delicacies of every kind. Damocles fancied himself among it the gods. In the midst of all his happiness, he fees, let down from the roof exactly over his neck

The prætor had given up to the triumvir a woman of fome rank, condemned, for a capital crime, to be executed in the prifon. He who had charge of the execution, in confideration of her birth, did not immediately put her to death. He even ventured to let her daughter have accefs to her in prifon; carefully fearching her, however, as he went in, left the fhould carry with her any fultenance ; concluding, that in a few days the mother muft of courfe perifh 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 began to wonder that the daughter ftill came to visit 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 altonishment, that the life of the mother had been, all this while, fupported by the milk of the daughter, who came to the prifon every day, to give her mother her breafts to fuck. The ftrange contrivance between them was reprefented 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 prifon ftood was confecrated, and a temple to filial piety built upon it.

What will not filial duty contrive, or what hazards will it not run, if it will put a daughter upon venturing, at the peril of her own life, to maintain her imprifoned and condemned mother in fo unufual a

and leaves little more to be feen in them than meanness and narrownefs of mind.

Scipio did not depart from himself in any respect. He was not like certain paintings, that are to be feen only at a distance: he could not bat gain by a nearer view. The excellent education which he had had, through the care of his father Paulus Æmilius, who had provided him with the most learned mafters of thofe times, as well in polite learning as the fciences; and the inftructions he had received from Polybius, enabled him to fill up the vacant hours he had from public affairs profitably, and to fupport the lei fure of a private life, with pleafure and dignity. This is the glorious testimony given of him by an hiftorian: "Nobody "knew better how to mingle leifure and "action, nor to ufe the intervals of reft from public bulinefs with more elegance "and tafle. Divided between arms and "books, between the military labours of "the camp, and the peaceful occupations "of the clofet, he either exercifed his body in the dangers and fatigues of war, or his mind in the ftudy of the fciences." The firit Scipio Africanus used to say, That he was never lefs idle, than when at leifure, or lefs alone, than when alone. A fine faying, cries Cicero, and well worthy of that great man. And it fhews that, even when inactive, he was always employed; and that when alone, he knew how to converfe with himself. A very extraordinary difpofition in perfons accuftomed to motion and agitation, whom leifure and folitude, when they are reduced to them, plunge into a difguft for every thing, and fill with melancholy; fo that they are difpleafed in every thing with themselves, and fink under the heavy burden of having nothing to do. This faying of the firit Scipio feems to me to fuit the fecond still better, who having the advantage of the other by being educated in a talte for polite learning and the fciences, found in that a great resource against the inconvenience of which we have been fpeaking. Befides which, having ufually Polybius and Panatius with him, even in the field, it is easy to judge that his houfe was open, in times of peace, to all the learned. Every body knows, that the comedies of Terence, the most accomphthed work of that kind Rome ever Fro

Vell.ius Paterculus.

duced, for natural elegance and beauties, are afcribed to him and Lelius, of whom we shall foon speak. It was publicly enough reported, that they affifted that poet in the compofition of his pieces; and Terence himfelf makes it an honour to him in the prologue to the Adelphi. I fhall undoubtedly not advise any body, and leaf of all perfons of Scipio's rank, to write comedies. But on this occafion, lec us only confider talte in general for letters. Is there a more ingenuous, a more affecting pleasure, and one more worthy of a wife and virtuous man, I might perhaps add, or one more neceffary to a military perfon, than that which refults from reading works of wit, and from the converfation of the learned? Providence thought fit, according to the obfervation of a Pagan, that he should be above thote trivial pleafures, to which perfons without letters, knowledge, curiofity, and tafte for reading, are obliged to give themfeives up.

Another kind of pleafure, fill more fenfible, more warm, more natural, and more implanted in the heart of man, conftituted the greatest felicity of Scipio's life; this was that of friendship; a pleasure seldom known by great perlons or princes, becaufe, generally loving only themselves, they do not deferve to have friends. However, this is the most grateful tie of human fociety; fo that the poet Ennius fays with great reafon, that to live without friends is not to live. Scipio had undoubtedly a great number of them, and thofe very illuftrious: but I fhall speak here only of Lælius, whofe probity and prudence acquired him the furname of the Wife.

Never, perhaps, were two friends better fuited to each other than thofe great men. They were almost of the fame age, and had the fame inclination, benevolence of mind, tafte for learning of all kinds, principles of government, and zeal for the public good. Scipio, no doubt, took place in point of military glory; but Lælius did not want merit of that kind; and Cicero tells us, that he fignalized himfelf very much in the war with Viriathus. As to the talents of the mind, the fuperioriry, in refpect of eloquence, feems to have been given to Lælius; though Cicero does not agree that it was due to him, and fays, that Lælius's ftyle favoured more of the ancient manner, and had fomething less agreeable in it than that of Scipio.

Let us hear Lælius himself (that is the words