Princess heard the beautiful stranger make her own complaint, and relate the circumstances of her injurious treatment, and her conduct upon it, she was sufficiently convinced of her eloquence, of her prudence, and the admirable dexterity with which she had managed her own affairs. Upon this, she determined to marry Athenais to the Emperor; and to promote her design, she acquainted him that she had at last found an unblemished young virgin, of an exquisite form: her forehead fair and smooth, her lineaments lovely, her features regular, her skin white as snow, her air uncommon, woman-like in her motion, learned, and of a Greek extraction.

2

The youthful Theodosius was fired with the description of so complete a beauty; when, sending for his friend and favourite, Paulinus, he desired his sister to appoint Athenais an audience in her apartments, under the pretence of speaking with her about her own business; that by this means he and his favourite might behold her unveiled. She was accordingly introduced into the apartment of the Princess, where Theodosius viewed her with taptures, and Paulinus with astonishment. Soon after, she was converted to christianity, for she had, been bred pagan of the Greek religion. a

Hereupon Pulcheria sent for Atticus, the Bishop, to baptise her by the name of Eudocia; and, immediately after, she was married to the Emperor.

Eudocia, the Empress, was a person of very extraordinary natural abilities, which she had improved by all kinds of Latin as well as Greek literature. She was mistress of both the active and contemplative parts of philosophy. She perfectly understood the art of speaking eloquently, and of reasoning justly; and knew the methods of proving and convincing by arguments, as well as of refuting adversaries; in which no man was ever so great a proficient. She attained to a more perfect knowledge of astronomy, of geometry, and of the proportions of numbers, than any one could boast of in her time. To these accomplishments she added the skill of poetry and while many famous orators published panegyrics on Theodosius, for his victory over the Persians; the Empress composed poems in heroic verse on the same occasion. For these and other poetical works she was so much celebrated, that two of the historians style her the Poet, while the rest call her the Philosopher.'

I must not omit to mention one passage more, to the honour of Eudocia; which will at once

A

shew the united force of her philosophy and christianity. She preferred her two brothers to the two most considerable posts in the empire; and instead of reproaching them, she said, "If they had not obliged me to leave my country, I should never have visited Constantinople, where I am advanced to empire."

Philosophy has been honoured in the male sex, by Marcus Antoninus; and in Eudocia, we see it has been raised to as great dignity by a woman. So that, I hope, the ladies will not for the future suffer the men to arrogate to themselves the whole glory of learning and wisdom.

FREE-THINKER, No. 148, Aug. 21, 1719.

The romantic adventures of the empress Eudocia have been recorded by the eloquent pen of the Historian of the Roman empire, who, to the incidents related in this paper, has added the events of her subsequent life; events, of which many, I am sorry to say, throw a shade over the lustre of her early virtues. See Gibbon, 8vo. edit. vol. v. p. 423, et seq.

No. XVI.

Οινπερ φυλλων γενεη, τοιηδε και Ανδρών.

HOMER.

Frail as the leaves that quiver on the sprays,
Like them man flourishes, like them decays.

HAVE been impatient for an opportunity of returning thanks to the ingenious gentleman, who sent me the following serious entertainment, which has laid by me ever since the nineteenth of February. The uncommon cast of invention, and the freedom of imagination, which shine through this amusing little piece, will recommend it to persons of a lively thought: to engage their attention yet more earnestly, I may justly say, that the author's bold allusion conveys an instruction of the greatest moment; a lesson, the most effectual of any in the compass of philosophy, to humble the vanity and ambition of men.

"Cicero, in the first book of his Tusculan Questions, finely exposes the vain judgment we are apt to form of the duration of human life, compared to eternity. In illustrating this argument, he quotes a passage of natural history from Aristotle, concerning a species of insects

on the banks of the river Hypanis, that never out-live the day wherein they are born.

"To pursue the thoughts of this elegant writer; let us suppose one of the most robust of these Hypanians (so famed in history) was in a manner coeval with time itself; that he began to exist at the break of day; and that, from the uncommon strength of his constitution, he has been able to shew himself active in life through the numberless minutes of ten or twelve hours.

"Through so long a series of seconds, he must have acquired vast wisdom in his way, from observation and experience. He looks upon his fellow-creatures, who died about noon, to be happily delivered from the many inconveniences of old age; and can perhaps recount to his grandson a surprising tradition of actions, before any records of their nation were extant. The young swarm, who may be advanced one hour in life, approach his person with respect, and listen to his improving discourse. Every thing he says will seem wonderful to this short-lived generation. The compass of a day will be esteemed the whole duration of time; and the first dawn of light will, in their chronology, be styled the great æra of their creation.