depended mutually upon each other. With money, therefore, he provided soldiers, and with soldiers extorted money; and was of all men the most rapacious in plundering both friends and foes, sparing neither prince, nor state, nor temple, nor even private persons who were known to possess any share of treasure. His great abilities would necessarily have made him one of the first citizens of Rome; but disdaining the condition of a subject, he could never rest till he made himself a monarch. In acting this last part, his usual prudence seemed to fail him, as if the height to which he was mounted had turned his head and made him giddy; for, by a vain ostentation of his power, he destroyed the stability of it; and as men shorten life by living too fast, so, by an intemperance of reigning, he brought his reign to a violent end.—Conyers Middleton,

FRIDAY, February 26.

Into Greek Iambics.

Pris. The needy man who has known better days, One whom distress has spited at the world,

Is he whom tempting fiends would pitch upon
To do such deeds, as make the prosperous men
Lift up their hands, and wonder who could do them;
And such a man was I; a man declined,

Who saw no end of black adversity;

Yet, for the wealth of kingdoms, I would not
Have touched that infant with a hand of harm.

Lady R. Ha! dost thou say so? Then perhaps he lives!

Pris. Not many days ago he was alive.

Lady R. O, God of heaven! Did he then die so lately?

Pris. I did not say he died; I hope he lives.

Not many days ago these eyes beheld

Him, flourishing in youth, and health, and beauty.

Lady R. Where is he now?

Pris. Alas! I know not where.

Lady R. O, fate! I fear thee still. Thou riddler,

speak

Direct and clear, else I will search thy soul.

Home's "Douglas.”

MONDAY, March 1.

Into English Prose.

Καὶ ὁ ̓Αδείμαντος ὑπολαβὼν Τί οὖν, ἔφη, ὦ Σώ κρατες, ἀπολογήσει, ἐάν τίς σε φῇ μὴ πάνυ τι εὐδαί μονας ποιεῖν τούτους τοὺς ἄνδρας, καὶ ταῦτα δι ̓ ἑαυτούς, ὧν ἔστι μὲν ἡ πόλις τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, οἱ δὲ μηδέν ἀπολαύουσιν ἀγαθὸν τῆς πόλεως, οἷον οἱ ἄλλοι ἀγρούς τε κεκτημένοι καὶ οἰκίας οἰκοδομούμενοι καλὰς καὶ μεγάλας, καὶ ταύταις πρέπουσαν κατασκευὴν κτώμενοι, καὶ θυσίας θεοῖς ἰδίας θύοντες, καὶ ξενοδοκοῦντες, καὶ δὴ καὶ ἃ νῦν δὴ σὺ ἔλεγες, χρυσόν τε καὶ ἄργυρον κεκτημένοι καὶ πάντα ὅσα νομίζεται τοῖς μέλλουσι μακαρίοις εἶναι· ἀλλ ̓ ἀτεχνῶς, φαίη ἄν, ὥς περ ἐπίκουροι μισθωτοὶ ἐν τῇ πόλει φαίνονται καθῆσθαι οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ φρουροῦντες. Ναί, ἦν δ ̓ ἐγώ, καὶ ταῦτά γε ἐπισίτιοι καὶ οὐδὲ μισθὸν πρὸς τοῖς σιτίοις λαμβάνοντες ὥς περ οἱ ἄλλοι, ὥστε οὐδ ̓ ἂν ἀποδημῆσαι βούλωνται ἰδίᾳ, ἐξέσται αὐτοῖς, οὐδὲ ἑταίραις διδόναι, οὐδ ̓ ἀναλίσκειν ἄν ποι βούλωνται ἄλλοσε, οἷα δὴ οἱ εὐδαίμονες δοκοῦντες εἶναι ἀναλίσκουσι. ταῦτα καὶ ἄλλα τοιαῦτα συχνὰ τῆς κατηγορίας ἀπολείπεις. Αλλ', ἡ δ ̓ ὅς, ἔστω καὶ ταῦτα κατηγορημένα. Τί οὖν δὴ ἀπολογησόμεθα, φῇς ; Ναί. Τὸν αὐτὸν οἶμον, ἦν δ ̓ ἐγὼ, πορευόμενοι εὑρήσομεν, ὡς ἐγᾦμαι, ἃ λεκτέα. ἐροῦμεν γὰρ ὅτι θαυμαστὸν μὲν ἂν οὐδὲν εἴη, εἰ καὶ οὗτοι οὕτως εὐδαιμονέστατοί εἰσιν, οὐ μὴν πρὸς τοῦτο βλέποντες τὴν πόλιν οἰκίζομεν, ὅπως ἕν τι ἡμῖν ἔθνος ἔσται διαφερόντως εὔδαιμον, ἀλλ ̓ ὅπως ὅτι μάλιστα ὅλη ἡ πόλις· ᾠήθημεν γὰρ ἐν τῇ τοιαύτῃ μάλιστ ̓ ἂν εὑρεῖν δικαιοσύνην καὶ αὖ ἐν τῇ κάκιστα οἰκουμένῃ ἀδικίαν, κατιδόντες δὲ κρῖναι ἂν ὁ πάλαι ζητοῦμεν. νῦν μὲν οὖν, ὡς οἰόμεθα, τὴν εὐδαίμονα πλάττομεν οὐκ ἀπολαβόντες, ὀλίγους ἐν αὐτῇ τοιούτους τινὰς θέντες, ἀλλ ̓ ὅλην αὐτίκα δὲ τὴν ἐναντίαν σκεψόμεθα. ώς περ οὖν ἂν εἰ ἡμᾶς ἀνδριάντας γράφοντας προσελθὼν ἄν τις ἔψεγε, λέγων ὅτι οὐ τοῖς καλλίστοις τοῦ ζώου τὰ κάλλιστα φάρμακα προστίθεμεν—οἱ γὰρ ὀφθαλμοὶ κάλλιστον ὂν οὐκ ὀστρείῳ ἐναληλιμμένοι εἶεν ἀλλὰ μέλανι, μετρίως ἂν ἐδοκοῦμεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπολογεῖσθαι λέγοντες Ω θαυμάσιε, μὴ οἴου δεῖν ἡμᾶς οὕτω καλοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς γράφειν, ὥστε μηδὲ ὀφθαλμοὺς φαίνεσθαι, μηδ ̓ αὖ τἆλλα μέρη, ἀλλ ̓ ἄθρει εἰ τὰ προσήκοντα ἑκάστοις ἀποδιδόντες τὸ ὅλον καλὸν ποιοῦμεν.-Plato de Republica.

WEDNESDAY, March 3.

Into Greek Prose.

Euph. Can a rational agent propose a more excellent end than happiness?

Alc. He cannot.

Euph. Of good things, the greater good is most excellent.

Alc. Doubtless.

Euph. Is not the general happiness of mankind a greater good, than the private happiness of one man, or of some certain men?

Alc. It is.

Euph. Is it not therefore the most excellent end?
Alc. It seems so.

Euph. Are not then those who pursue this end by the properest methods to be thought the wisest men? Alc. I grant they are.

Euph. Which is a wise man governed by, wise or foolish notions?

Alc. By wise, doubtless.

Euph. It seems then to follow, that he who promotes the general well being of mankind by the proper necessary means, is truly wise, and acts upon wise grounds.

Alc. It should seem so.

Euph. And is not folly of an opposite nature to wisdom?

Alc. It is.

Euph. Might it not therefore be inferred, that those men are foolish who go about to unhinge such principles as have a necessary connexion with the general good of mankind?

Alc. Perhaps this might be granted: but at the same time I must observe, that it is in my power to deny it. Berkeley's "Minute Philosopher.'

FRIDAY, March 5.

Into Latin Hexameters.

I spoke, when rising through the darkened air, Appalled we saw a hideous phantom glare;

High and enormous o'er the flood he towered,
And thwart our way with sullen aspect lowered.
His haggard beard flowed quivering on the wind,
Revenge and horror in his mien combined;
His clouded front by withering lightning scared,
The inward anguish of his soul declared.
His red eyes glowing from their dusky caves
Shot livid fires: far echoing o'er the waves
His voice resounded, as the caverned shore
With hollow groan repeats the tempest's roar.
Cold gliding horrors thrilled each hero's breast;
Our bristling hair and tottering knees confessed
Wild dread; the while with visage ghastly wan,
His black lips trembling, thus the Fiend began.
Mickle's "Lusiad."

MONDAY, March 8.

Into English Prose.

Coram me tecum eadem hæc agere sæpe conantem deterruit pudor quidam, pæne subrusticus; quæ nunc expromam absens audacius. Epistola enim non erubescit. Ardeo cupiditate incredibili, neque, ut ego arbitror, reprehendenda, nomen ut nostrum scriptis illustretur et celebretur tuis. Quod etsi mihi sæpe ostendis te esse facturum: tamen ignoscas velim huic festinationi meæ. Genus enim scriptorum tuorum, etsi erat semper a me vehementer exspectatum, tamen vicit opinionem meam, meque ita vel cepit, vel incendit, ut cuperem quam celerrime res nostras monumentis commendari tuis. Neque enim me solum commemoratio posteritatis ad spem quandam immortalitatis rapit : sed agit illa ipsa cupiditas, ut vel auctoritate testimonii tui, vel indicio benivolentiæ, vel suavitate ingenii, vivi perfruamur. Neque tamen, hæc quum scribebam, eram nescius, quantis oneribus premerere susceptarum rerum, et jam institutarum: sed quia videbam, Italici belli et civilis historiam jam a te pæne esse perfectam ; dixeras autem mihi, te reliquas res ordiri: deesse mihi nolui, quin te admonerem, ut cogitares, conjunctene malles cum reliquis rebus nostra contexere, an, ut multi Græci fecerunt, Callisthenes Troicum bellum, Timæus

Pyrrhi, Polybius Numantinum, qui omnes a perpetuis suis historiis ea, quæ dixi, bella separaverunt : tu quoque item civilem conjurationem ab hostilibus externisque bellis sejungeres. Equidem ad nostram laudem non multum video interesse: sed ad properationem meam quiddam interest, non te exspectare, dum ad locum venias, ac statim causam illam totam, et tempus arripere. Et simul, si uno in argumento, unaque in persona mens tua tota versabitur: cerno jam animo, quanto uberiora, atque ornatiora futura sint omnia. Neque tamen ignoro, quam impudenter faciam, qui primum tibi tantum oneris imponam, (potest enim mihi denegare occupatio tua) deinde etiam, ut ornes me, postulem. Quid si illa tibi non tantopere videntur ornanda? Sed tamen, qui semel verecundiæ fines transierit, eum bene et naviter oportet esse impudentem. Itaque te plane etiam atque etiam rogo, ut ornes ea, vehementius etiam, quam fortasse sentis, et in eo leges historiæ negligas: gratiamque illam, de qua suavissime quodam in proœmio scripsisti, a qua te affici non magis potuisse demonstras, quam Herculem Xenophontium illum a voluptate: si me tibi vehementius commendabit, ne aspernere; amorique nostro plusculum etiam, quam concedit veritas, largiare. Quod si te adducemus, ut hoc suscipias: erit, ut mihi persuadeo, materies digna facultate, et copia tua.-Cicero to Lucceius.

WEDNESDAY, March 10.

Into Latin Elegiacs.

Sweet flowers; that from your humble beds
Thus prematurely dare to rise,
And trust your unprotected heads
To cold Aquarius' watery skies;

Retire! retire! these tepid airs
Are not the genial brood of May;
That Sun with light malignant glares,
And flatters only to betray.

Stern winter's reign is not yet past-
Lo! while your buds prepare to blow,
On icy pinions comes the blast,

And nips your root, and lays you low.