claimed the greatness of her misfortunes) to hasten, if she expected to see Pompey, with but one ship, and even that not his own. Her grief, which before was violent, now became insupportable; she fainted away, and lay a considerable time without any signs of life. At length, recovering herself, and reflecting that it was now no time for vain lamentations, she ran quite through the city to the sea side. Pompey embraced her without speaking a word, and for some time supported her in his arms, in silent despair. 8. Having taken in Cornelia, he now continued his course, steering to the south-east, and stopping no longer than was necessary to take in provisions, at the ports that occurred in his passage. He was at last prevailed, upon to apply to Ptolemy, king of Egypt, to whose father Pompey had been a considerable benefactor. Ptolemy, who was as yet a minor, had not the government in his own hands, but he and his kingdom were under the protection of Photinus and Theodotus. These advised that Pompey should be invited on shore, and there slain; and accordingly, Achilles, 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. 9. Being attended by three or four more, they went into a little bark, and rowed off from land towards Pompey's ship, that lay about a mile from the shore. Pompey, after taking leave of Cornelia, who wept at his departure, and having repeated two verses of Sophocles, signifying, that he who trusts his freedom to a tyrant, from that moment becomes a slave, gave his hand to Achilles, and stepped 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 silence, Pompey, willing to begin the discourse, accosted Septimius, whose face he recollected; 66 Methinks, friend," cried he, " you and I were once fellow-soldiers together." Septimius gave only a nod with his head, without uttering a word, or instancing the least civility. Pompey, therefore, took out a paper, on which he had minuted a speech he intended to make to the king, and began reading it. To whom did Pompey apply for assistance after his defeat ?-Who advised that Pompey should be invited on shore and slain ?-Who were appointed to carry their advice into effect? 10. In this manner they approached the shore; and Cornelia, whose concern had never suffered her to lose sight of her husband, began to conceive hope, when she perceived the people on the strand crowding down along the coast, as If willing to receive him; but her hopes were soon destroyed; for at that instant, as Pompey rose, supporting himself upon his freedman's arm, Septimius stabbed him in his back, and was instantly seconded by Achilles. Pompey, perceiving his death inevitable, only disposed himself to meet it with decency-and covering his face with his robe, without speaking a word, with a sigh, resigned himself to his fate. At this horrid sight, Cornelia shrieked so loud as to be heard to the shore; but the danger she herself was in, did not allow the mariners time to look on; they immediately set sail, and, the wind proving favourable, fortunately they escaped the pursuit of the Egyptian galleys. 11. In the mean time, Pompey's murderers having cut off his head, caused it to be embalmed, the better to preserve its features, designing it for a present to Cæsar. The body was thrown naked on the strand, and exposed to the view of all those whose curiosity led them that way. However, his faithful freedman, Philip, still kept near it; and when the crowd was dispersed, he washed it in the sea; and looking round for materials to burn it with, he perceived the wreck of a fishing-boat, of which he composed a pile. While he was thus piously employed, he was accosted by an old Roman soldier, who had served under Pompey in his youth. "Who art thou," said he, "that art making these humble preparations for Pompey's funeral?" Philip having answered that he was one of his freedmen, "Alas!" replied the soldier, "permit me to share in this honor also; among all the miseries of my exile, it will be my last sad comfort, that I have been able to assist at the funeral of my old commander, and touch the body of the bravest general that ever Rome produced." Who buried Pompay ? THE WORLD A FLEETING SHOW. This world is all a fleeting show, For man's illusion given— The smiles of Joy, the tears of Wa, There's nothing true but Heaven! And false the light on Glory's plume And Love, and Hope, and Beauty's bloom, Poor wanderers of a stormy day, From wave to wave we're driven, DEATH OF ANTONY. 1. ANTONY, being lost in luxury and effeminacy with Cleopatra, gave Cæsar* time to get his forces together, who might otherwise have been easily defeated, had Antony come upon him before he was prepared. Antony's fleet consisted of five hundred large ships, on board of which was an army of two hundred thousand foot, and twenty-two thousand horse. Cæsar had only two hundred and fifty ships, eighty thousand foot, and twelve thousand horse. Antony was advised by his ablest commanders not to engage by sea; but Cleopatra advising to the contrary, they came to a general engagement near the city of Actium in Epirus. Victory was for sometime doubtful, till the retreat of Cleopatra, who fled with the whole Egyptian squadron, and was precipitately followed by Antony, declaring every thing was lost; for Antony's army immediately submitted to Cæsar. Where did the armies of Cesar and Antony come to an engagement?-What first turned the scale of victory in favor of Cæsar? Octavius, nephew and successor of Julius, who won the battle of Pharsalia. 2. Antony and Cleopatra escaped to Alexandria, where she put many great persons to death, fearing they might take up arms against her on account of the defeat she had met with. To avoid falling into the hands of Cæsar, she formed the most extraordinary design of having her ships in the Mediterranean carried into the Red Sea, over the isthmus of seventy miles; but in this she was prevented by the Arabians, who burnt them all. Antony finding himself deserted by all his followers, for some time secluded himself from company in his house, which he called Timonium, where he pretended to act the part of Timon the man-hater; but he soon returned to Cleopatra, and with her spent the remainder of his life. 3. They agreed to send ambassadors to Cæsar, to sue for peace; and Antony submitted to the meanness of demanding life of him, on the shameful conditions of passing it at Athens, as a private person, if Cæsar would give Egypt to Cleopatra and her children. The queen, however, was so treacherous as to give private orders to her ambassadors, to mention her only in the treaty. Cæsar would not admit Antony's ambassadors to an audience; but he gave a favorable reception to those of the queen, being particularly desirous of securing her person to adorn his triumph, and her treasures to enable him to pay the debts he had contracted to defray the expense of the war. 4. The ambassadors proving unsuccessful, Antony endeavoured to extinguish in himself the sense of his present misfortunes, and the apprehension of those that threatened him, by abandoning himself to feasting and voluptuousness. Cleopatra and he regaled themselves alternately, and emulously contended to excel each other in the incredible magnificence of their banquets. Cleopatra, however, foresaw what might happen, and collecting all sorts of poison, discovered at length that the asp was the only one which caused neither torture nor convulsions, and which throwing the person bit into an immediate heaviness and stupefaction, tended with a slight perspiration upon the face, and a numbness of all the organs of sense, gently extinguishing life; so that those who were in that condition, were angry when any at What extraordinary measure did Cleopatra adopt to prevent falling into the hands of Caesar? one awakened them, or endeavoured to make them rise, like people exceedingly sleepy. This was the poison she fixed upon; but applied herself, with extraordinary solicitude, in caressing Antony, to dispel his suspicions and complaints. 5. Cæsar, being fully sensible that it was of the highest importance to him not to leave his victory unfinished, invested Pelusium, and summoned the governor to open the gates. Seleucus, who commanded there for Cleopatra, had received secret orders upon that head, and surrendered the place without waiting for a siege. Such was the wickedness of this queen, in whom the most odious vices were complicated. She absolutely renounced all modesty; had a violent propensity to fraud, injustice, and cruelty; and, what was worse than all, was a most detestable hypocrite. While the rumor of this treason spread through the city, Cleopatra ordered her most precious moveables to be carried to a place of security. 6. Cæsar was in hopes of making himself master of Alexandria in a short time, by means of the intelligence he held with Cleopatra, on which he relied no less than on his army. Antony, being ignorant of her intrigues, prepared for an obstinate defence. He made a vigorous sally, and returned victorious into the city, which was the last effort of his expiring genius; for, after this exploit, fortitude and sense of glory forsook him, or were of no more service to him. Instead of pursuing his victory, and keeping a watchful eye over Cleopatra who betrayed him, he flew to her in his armor, and threw himself at her feet. The palace echoed with acclamations, as though the siege had been raised; and Antony and Cleopatra spent that day, and part of the night, in the most abandoned folly. 7. Antony now resolved to make the last attempt, both by sea and land, with a fixed resolution to conquer or die. He ordered his attendants to fill him out wine plentifully, saying, "This may be, perhaps, the last piece of service you will be able to do me; for to-morrow you may change your master, when I, stretched on the ground, shall be no more." On the approach of day, Antony drew up his forces on some rising ground out of the city, and from thence beheld his galleys, which were rowing out of the port, and going to attack those of Cæsar; but how shall I express his astonish What was the character of Cleopatra? |