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friendship and love. But this was an interview fatal to the future peace of both. Septimius no fooner faw her, but he was fmit with an involuntary paffion. He used every effort, but in vain, to fupprefs defires at once fo imprudent and unjuft. He retired to his apartment in inexpreffible agony; and the emotions of his mind in a short time became fo ftrong, that they brought on a fever, which the phyficians judged incurable.

During this illness, Alcander watched him with all the anxiety of fondness, and brought his mistress to join in those amiable offices of friendship. The fagacity of the phyficians by this means foon difcovered the cause of their patient's diforder; and Alcander, being apprized of their discovery, at length extorted a confeffion from the reluctant dying lover.

It would but delay the narrative to describe the conflict between love and friendship in the breaft of Alcander on this occasion; it is enough to say, that the Athenians were at this time arrived to fuch refinement in morals, that every virtue was carried to excess. In fhort, forgetful of his own felicity, he gave up his intended bride, in all her charms, to the young Roman. They were married privately by his connivance, and this unlooked-for change of fortune wrought as unexpected a change in the conftitution of the now happy Septimius. In a few days he was perfectly recovered, and fet out with his fair partner for Rome. Here, by an exertion of thofe talents which he was fo eminently poffeffed of, he in a few years arrived at the highest dignities of the state, and was conftituted the city judge, or prætor.

Mean while Alcander not only felt the pain of being separated from his friend and his mistress, but a profecution was alfo commenced against him by the relations of Hypatia, for his having bafely given. her up, as was fuggefted, for money.

His innocence of the crime laid to his charge, or his eloquence in his own defence, were not able to withstand the influence of a powerful party.

He was caft and condemned to pay an enormous fine. Unable to raise fo large a fum at the time appointed, his poffeffions were confifcated, himself stript of the habit of freedom, expofed in the marketplace, and fold as a flave to the highest bidder.

A merchant of Thrace becoming his purchaser, Alcander, with fome other companions of diftrefs, was carried into the region of defolation and fterility. His stated employment was to follow the herds of an imperious mafter, and his skill in hunting was all that was allowed him to fupply a precarious fubfiftence. Condemned to hopeless fervitude, every morning waked him to a renewal of famine or toil, and every change of season ferved but to aggravate his unfheltered diftrefs. Nothing but death or flight was left him, and almost certain death was the confequence of his attempting to fly. After fome years of bondage, however, an opportunity of efcaping offered; he embraced it with ardour, and travelling by night, and lodging in caverns by day, he at laft arrived in Rome. The day of Alcander's arrival, Septimius fate in the forum adminiftering juftice; and hither our wanderer came, expecting to be inftantly known, and publickly acknowledged. Here he

flood

t

ance confirmed fufpicion. Misfortune and he were now fo long acquainted, that he at laft became regardless of life. He detefted a world where he had found only ingrati

ftood the whole day among the crowd, watching the eyes of the judge, and expecting to be taken notice of; but fo much was he altered by a long fucceffion of hardfhips, that he paffed entirely witude, falfhood and cruelty, and was out notice; and in the evening, when he was going up to the prætor's chair, he was brutally repulfed by the attending lictors. The attention of the poor is generally driven from one ungrateful obje& to another. Night coming on, he now found himself under a neceffity of feeking a place to lie in, and yet knew not where to apply. All emaciated, and in rags as he was, none of the citizens would harbour fo much wretchedness, and fleeping in the streets might be attended with interruption or danger. In short, he was obliged to take up his lodging in one of the tombs without the city, the ufual retreat of guilt, poverty, or despair.

In this manfion of horror, laying his head upon an inverted urn, he forgot his miferies for a while in fleep, and virtue found, on this flinty couch, more cafe than down can fupply to the guilty.

It was midnight, when two robbers came to make this cave their retreat; but happening to difagree about the division of their plunder, one of them ftabbed the other to the heart, and left him weltering in blood at the entrance. In thefe circumftances he was found next morning, and this naturally induced a further enquiry. The alarm was fpread, the cave was examined, Alcander was found fleeping, and immediately apprehended and accufed of robbery and murder. The circumstances against him were strong, and the wretchedness of his appear

Thus

determined to make no defence.
Thus lowering with refolution, he
was dragged, bound with cords, be-
fore the tribunal of Septimius. The
proofs were pofitive against him,
and he offered nothing in his own
vindication; the judge, therefore,
was proceeding to doom him to a
most cruel and ignominious death,
when, as if illumined by a ray from
heaven, he difcovered, through all
his mifery, the features, though
dim with forrow, of his long lott,
lov'd Alcander. It is impoffible to
defcribe his joy and his pain on this
ftrange occafion. Happy in once
more feeing the perfon he most
loved on earth, diftreffed at finding
him in fuch circumstances.
agitated by contending paffions, he
flew from his tribunal, and falling
on the neck of his dear benefactor,
burst into an agony of distress. The
attention of the multitude was foon,
however, divided by another object.
The robber, who had been really
guilty, was apprehended felling his
plunder, and, ftruck with a panic,
confeffed his crime. He was brought
bound to the fame tribunal, and ac-
quitted every other perfon of any
partnership in his guilt. Need the
fequel be related? Alcander was ac-
quitted, fhared the friendship and
the honours of his friend Septimius,
lived afterwards in happiness and
eafe, and left it to be engraved on
his tomb, "That no circumstances
are fo defperate, which Providence
may not relieve."

Genealogical

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Genealogical Account of BERTIE, Earl of ABINGDON.

ΤΗ

HE first of the family of Bertie, that bore the title of Earl of Abingdon, was James Bertie, lord. Norris of Rycote, fon and heir of Montague Bertie, the fecond earl of Lindley, by his fecond wife Bridget, baronefs Norris of Rycote, daughter and fole heir to Edward Wray, Efq; groom of the bedchamber to king James I. The title of Baron Norris of Rycote defcended to him from his mother, who inherited that title from her mother, who was daughter and heiress to Francis lord Norris, viscount Thame, and earl of Berkhire. He was created earl of Abingdon, November 30, 1682, in the thirty-fourth year of the reign of Charles II. and was lord-lieutenant of the county of Oxford, from the year 1674 to the year 1687. Upon the acceffion of king William and queen Mary, he was conftituted lord lieutenant and cuftos rotulorum of the fame county, and continued in that office till the year 1697. He was also appointed chief-juftice in eyre of all the king's forefts, &c. fouth of Trent, and lord high-fteward of the city of Oxford. He was twice married by his firft wife Eleanora, eldest daughter of Sir Henry Lee, of Ditchley in Oxfordfhire, he had iffue fix fons, viz. Montagu, James, Henry, Robert, Peregrine, and Charles; and three daughters. His fecond wife was Catherine, eldest daughter and coheir to Sir Thomas Chamberlain, bart. but by her he left no iffue. His lordship died on Monday, May 22, 1699, in the forty-fixth year of his age, univerfally regretted by his country, of whofe liberty August, 1764.

and religion he was a constant and ftrenuous affertor.

His eldest fon and fucceffor, Montagu, earl of Abingdon, was fworn of the privy-council to her majeftý queen Anne, on April 21, 1702; and on May 27, following, was conftituted conftable of the Tower of London, and lord lieutenant of the hamlets thereof; alfo on June 10, in the fame year, lord-lieutenant and cuftos rotulorum of Oxfordfhire: but, in September 1705, his lordship was removed from his employments. In 1710 he was confituted lord chief-juftice, and justice in eyre, of all her majesty's forests, chaces, parks, &c. on the fouth-fide of Trent; and was again fworn of her majefty's privy-council; and May 17, 1712, conftituted lordlieutenant of Oxfordshire.

On the demife of the queen, he was one of the lords juftices nominated by his late majesty (purfuant to an act of parliament) for the government of the kingdom till his arrival from Hanover. And a new privy-council being appointed by his majefty to meet on the 1ft of October 1714, he was fworn thereof; and on the 16th of the fame month appointed lord-lieutenant of Oxfordfhire, as alfo cuftos rotulorum of the faid county; likewife made foon after lord chief juftice in eyre, &c. south of Trent, which offices he refigned in the fame reign.

His lordship married first Anne, daughter and heir to Peter Venables, baron of Kinderton, who left him a widower in the year 1715. His fecond wife was Mary, daughter and fole-heir to James Gould, Liq; 3 G

and

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