He for her parents and her lover call'd.
The various scene imagine. How his troops
Look'd dubious on, and wonder'd what he meant ;
While stretch'd below, the trembling suppliant lay,
Rack'd by a thousand mingling passions-fear,
Hope, jealousy, disdain, submission, grief,
Anxiety, and love, in every shape.

To these, as different sentiments succeeded,
As mix'd emotions, when the man divine
Thus the dread silence to the lover broke-

5. "We both are young-both charm'd. The right of

war

Has put thy beauteous mistress in my power;
With whom I could, in the most sacred ties,
Live out a happy life. But know, that Romans
Their hearts, as well as enemies, can conquer;
Then take her to thy soul, and with her, take
Thy liberty and kingdom. In return,

I ask but this-when you behold these eyes,
These charms, with transport, be a friend to Rome."
Ecstatic wonder held the lovers mute;

While the loud camp, and all the clust'ring crowd
That hung aroung, rang with repeated shouts.
Fame took th' alarm, and through resounding Spain
Blew fast the fair report; which, more than arms,
Admiring nations to the Romans gain'd.

DEATH OF CÆSAR.

1. CESAR having been made perpetual dictator, and received from the senate accumulated honors, it began to be rumored that he intended to make himself king; and though in fact he was possessed of the power, the people, who had an utter aversion to the name, could not bear his assuming the title. Whether he really designed to assume that empty honor, must now for ever remain a secret; but certain it is, that the unsuspecting openness of his conduct marked something like a confidence in the innocence of his intentions.

What first caused a jealousy against Cæsar?

2. When informed, by those about him, of the jealousies of many persons who envied his power, he was heard to say, that he had rather die once by treason, than to live continually in apprehension of it. When advised by some to beware of Brutus, in whom he had for some time reposed the greatest confidence, he opened his breast, all scarred with wounds, saying, "Can you think Brutus cares for such poor pillage as this?" And being one night at supper, as his friends disputed among themselves what death was easiest, he replied, that which was most sudden and least foreseen. But to convince the world how little he had to apprehend from his enemies, he disbanded his company of Spanish guards, which facilitated the enterprise against his life.

3. A deep conspiracy was therefore laid against him, composed of no less than sixty senators. They were still the more formidable, as the generality of them were of his own party, who having been raised above other citizens, felt more strongly the weight of a single superior. At the head of this conspiracy were Brutus, whose life Cæsar had spared after the battle of Pharsalia, and Cassius, who was pardoned soon after, both prætors for the present year. Brutus made it his chief glory to have descended from that Brutus who first gave liberty to Rome. The passion for freedom seemed to have been transmitted with the blood of his ancestors down to him. But though he detested tyranny, yet he could not forbear loving the tyrant, from whom he had received the most signal benefits.

4. The conspirators, to give a color of justice to their proceedings, remitted the execution of their design to the ides of March, the day on which Cæsar was to be offered the crown. The augurs had foretold that this day would be fatal to him; and the night preceding, he heard his wife Calphurnia lamenting in her sleep; and being awakened, she confessed to him that she dreamed of his being assassinated in her arms. These omens in some measure began to change his intentions of going to the senate, as he had resolved that day; but one of the conspirators coming in, prevailed upon him to keep his resolution, telling him of the reproach that would attend his staying at home till his wife had lucky

Of what was Cesar warned to beware ?-Who engaged with Bruin a conspiracy to destroy Cesar?

dreams, and of the preparations that were made for his appearance.

5. As he went along to the senate, a slave who hastened to him with information of the conspiracy, attempted to come near him, but could not for the crowd. Artemidorus, a Greek philosopher, who had discovered the whole plot, delivered him a memorial, containing the heads of the information; but Cæsar gave it, with other papers, to one of his secretaries, without reading, as was usual in things of this nature. Being at length entered the senate-house, where the conspirators were prepared to receive him, he met one Spurina, an augur, who had foretold this danger, to whom he said, smiling, "Well, Spurina, the ides of March are come." "Yes," replied the augur, "but they are not yet over."

6. As soon as he had taken his place, the conspirators came near him, under pretence of saluting him; and Cimber, who was one of them, approached in a suppliant posture, pretending to sue for his brother's pardon, who had been banished by his order. All the conspirators seconded him with great earnestness; and Cimber, seeming to sue with still greater submission, took hold of the bottom of his robe, holding him so as to prevent his rising. This was the signal agreed on. Casca, who was behind, stabbed him, though slightly, in the shoulder. Cæsar instantly turned round, and with the steel of his tablet, wounded him in the arm.

7. However, all the conspirators were now alarmed; and enclosing him round, he received a second stab, from an unknown hand, in the breast, while Cassius wounded him in the face. He still defended himself with great vigor, rushing among them, and throwing down such as opposed him, till he saw Brutus among the conspirators, who, coming up, stuck his dagger into his thigh. From that moment Cæsar thought no more of defending himself; but looking upon this conspirator, cried out, And you too, my son !" Then covering his head, and spreading his robe before him in order to fall with greater decency, he sunk down at the base of Pompey's statue, after receiving three-and-twenty wounds from hands which he vainly supposed he had disarmed by his benefits.

8. Cæsar was killed in the fifty-sixth year of his age, and

At what age was Cæsar assassinated?

about fourteen years after he began the conquest of the world. If we examine his history, we shall be equally at a loss whether most to admire his great abilities or his wonderful fortune. To pretend to say, that from the beginning he planned the subjugation of his native country, is doing no great credit to his well known penetration, as a thousand obstacles lay in his way, which fortune, rather than conduct, was to surmount. No man, therefore, of his sagacity, would have begun a scheme in which the chances of succeeding were so many against him; it is most probable, that, like all very successful men, he only made the best of every occurrence; and his ambition rising with his good fortune, from at first being contented with his humbler aims, he at last began to think of governing the world, when he found scarce an obstacle to oppose his designs. Such is the disposition of man, whose cravings after power are always most insatiable when he enjoys the greatest share.

CATILINE'S CONSPIRACY.

1. ABOUT Sixty-one years before Christ, one of the most dangerous conspiracies broke out that had ever threatened Rome. At the head of this conspiracy was Lucius Sergius Catiline, who was descended from a very illustrious patrician family of great antiquity. He had been brought up amidst the tumults and disorders of a civil war, and had been the instrument of the cruelties of Sylla, to whom he was devoted. Destitute of either morals or probity, he discovered not the least veneration for the gods; and being ever disgusted with the present, was always unhappy with respect to the future.

2. Though master of few abilities, he was bold, rash, and intrepid, and had not even prudence enough properly to conceal his own infernal designs, where it was necessary he should, in order to prevent their miscarriage. As extravagance is the first cause of the violation of all laws, so Catiline, having contracted vast debts, and being unable to pay them, grew desperate, and aimed at nothing less than the highest and most lucrative employments. For this purpose,

When was Catiline's conspiracy formed ?What was the character of Catiline?

he associated with those young Romans, whose excesses had ruined their fortunes, and rendered them the contempt of every discerning person in the city.

3. These abandoned wretches formed a horrid conspiracy to murder the consuls, and to put to death the greatest part of the senators. Even the day was fixed, which was to have given birth to the most infamous attempt that had ever happened in the commonwealth since the foundation of Rome. At the signal given by Catiline, they were to rush on the consuls and murder them; but Catiline being too hasty in the signal, it was not obeyed; and thus the massacre was put off till another time.

4. This conspiracy was daily strengthened by all the young people of Rome, who, having been rocked in the cradle of luxury, and enervated by a continual succession of pleasures ; such as had ruined themselves by excesses, and were no longer able to support their extravagancies; the ambitious, who aspired to the highest posts in the state; and others, who had revenge, which they wanted to gratify on some superior; all these, actuated by different passions, embarked in the cause of Catiline, who made them the largest promises, and at the same time exhorted them to employ their interest to procure his being elected consul. No time could better suit the conspirators, as Pompey was then engaged in a war in the east, and Italy had no army to protect it.

5. Cicero, however, who was then consul, found means to bribe Fulvia, a lady of an illustrious family, which she had dishonored by her criminal amours with one of the chief of the conspirators. From this woman, Cicero got such information as enabled him to counteract all Catiline's projects. Soon after, Cicero accused Catiline, while he was present in the senate, of his impious design; but he endeavored to clear himself of the charge. Finding he could not bring the senators to his way of thinking, and being called by them an enemy and a parricide, he cried out in a furious tone of voice, "Since snares are every where laid for me, and those to whom I am odious exasperate me beyond measure, I will not perish singly, but involve my enemies in my ruin."

6. Catiline, having spoken these words, flew out of the

What was the object of this conspiracy?-Who was instrumental in counteracting this conspiracy?