been hitherto made to improve or to polish them. The Latin tongue was confecrated by the church to religion. Cuftom, with authority fcarce less facred, had appropriated it to literature. All the sciences cultivated in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries were taught in Latin. All the books with refpect to them, were written in that language. To have treated of any important fubject in a modern language, would have been deemed a degradation of it. This confined fcience within a very narrow circle. The learned alone were admited into the temple of knowledge; the gate was fhut against all others, who were allowed to remain involved in their former darkness and ignorance.

But though fcience was thus prevented, during feveral ages, from diffufing itself through fociety, and its intiuence was circumfcribed, the progrefs of it may be mentioned, nevertheless, among the great caufes which contributed to introduce a change of manners into Europe. That ardent, though ill-judged, fpirit of inquiry, which I have defcribed, occafioned a fermentation of mind, which put ingenuity and invention in motion, and gave them vigour. It led men to a new employment of their faculties, which they found to be agreeable, as well as interefling. It accustomed them to exercifes and occupations which tended to foften their manneis, and to give them fome relifh for thofe gentle virtues which are peculiar to nations among whom fcience hath been cultivated with fuccefs.

Robertjon.

251. On the respect paid by the LACEDEMONIANS and ATHENIANS to old Age.

It happened at Athens, during a public reprefentation of fome play exhibited in honour of the commonwealth, that an old gentleman came too late for a place fuitable to his age and quality. Many of the young gentlemen, who obferved the difficulty and confufion he was in, made figns to him that they would accommodate him if he came where they fat: the good man buftled through the crowd accordingly; but when he came to the feats to which he was invited, the jeft was, to fit clofe and expofe him as he flood, out of countenance, to the whole audience. The frolic went round all the Athenian benches. But on thofe occafions, there were alfo particular places aligned for foreigners: when the good man kulked towards the boxes ap

Spectator.

$252. On PETUS and ARRIA. In the reign of Claudius, the Roman emperor, Arria, the wife of Cæcinna Patas, was an illuftrious pattern of magnanimity and conjugal affection.

It happened that her hufband and her fon were both, at the fame time, attacked with a dangerous illness. The fon died. He was a youth endowed with every quality of mind and perfon which could endear him to his parents. His mother's heart was torn with all the anguish of grief; yet the refolved to conceal the diftreffing event from her husband. She prepared and conducted his funeral fo privately, that Pætus did not know of his death. Whenever the came into her husband's bed-chamber, the pretended her fon was better; and, as often as he inquired after his health, would anfwer, that he had refted well, or had eaten with an appetite. When the found that he could no longer refrain her grief, but her tears were gushing out, fhe would leave the room, and, having given vent to her paffion, return again with dry eyes and a ferene countenance, as if the had left her forrow behind her at the door of the

chamber.

Camillus Scribonianus, the governor of Dalmatia, having taken up arms againt Claudius, Pætus joined himfelf to his party, and was foon after taken prifoner, and brought to Rome. When the guards were going to put him on board the ship, Arria befought them that the might be permitted to go with him. "Certainly," faid fhe, "you cannot refufe a man of confular dig"nity, as he is, a few attendants to wait "upon him; but, if you will take me, I

alone will perform their office." This favour, however, was refufed; upon which fhe hired a fall fishing veffel, and boldly ventured to follow the fhip.

Returning to Rome, Arria met the wife of Scribonianus in the emperor's palace, who preffing her to difcover all that the knew of the infurrection,-" What!" faid

fhe,

fubjects, but of his fucceffor. With this view, he called Philip out of England, where the peevith temper of his queen, which increafed with her defpair of having iffue, rendered him extremely unhappy; and the jealoufy of the English left hin no hopes of obtaining the direction of their affairs. Having aflenibled the fates of the Low Countries, at Bruffels, on the twentyaith of October, one thousand five hundred and fifty-five, Charles feated nimfelf, for the last time, in the chair of flate; on one fide of which was placed his fon, and on the other his fifter, the queen of Hungary, re. gent of the Netherlands; with a fplendid retinue of the grandees of Spain, and princes of the empire, ftanding behind him, The prefident of the council of Flanders, by his command, explained, in a few words, his intention in calling this extraordinary meeting of the ftates. He then read the inftrument of refignation, by which Charles farrendered to his fon Philip all his territories, jurifdiction, and authority in the Low Countries; abfolving his fubjects there from their oath of allegiance to him, which he required them to transfer to Philip, his lawful heir, and to ferve him with the fame loyalty and zeal which they had manifefted, during fo long a courfe of years, in fupport of his government.

now, when his health was broken, and his vigour exhaufted by the rage of an incur able diftemper, his growing infirmities admonished him to retire; nor was he fo fond of reigning, as to retain the fceptre in an impotent hand, which was no longer able to protect his fubjects, or to render them happy: that, instead of a fovereign worn out with difeafes, and scarcely half alive, he gave them one in the prime of life, accustomed already to govern, and who added to the vigour of youth, all the attention and fagacity of maturer years: that if, during the courfe of a long adminiftration, he had committed any material error in government; or if, under the preffure of fo many and great affairs, and amidst the attention which he had been obliged to give to them, he had either neglected, or injured any of his fubjects, he now implored their forgiveness: that, for his part, he should ever retain a grateful fenfe of their fidelity and attachment, and would carry the remembrance of it along with him to the place of his retreat, as his sweetest confo. lation, as well as the beit reward for all his fervices; and, in his laft prayers to Almighty God, would pour forth his ardent wishes for their welfare.

Then, turning towards Philip, who fell on his knees, and kiffed his father's band, "If," fays he, "I had left you by my "death, this rich inheritance, to which I "have made fuch large additions, fome

regard would have been justly due to my memory on that account: but now, when "I voluntarily refign to you what I might

66

66

fill have retained, I may well expect "the warmest expreffions of thanks on "your part. With thefe, however, I dif "penfe; and fhail confider your concern "for the welfare of your fubjects, and your "love of them, as the beft and most acceptable teftimony of your gratitude to me. It is in your power, by a wife and "virtuous administration, to justify the extraordinary proof which I this day "give of my paternal affection; and to "demonftrate, that you are worthy of the " confidence which I repofe in you. Pre" ferve an inviolable regard for religion; "maintain the Catholic faith in its purity; "let the laws of your country be facred in " your eyes; encroach not on the rights and privileges of your people: and, if "the time thall ever come, when you fhall with to enjoy the tranquillity of private "life, may you have a fon endowed with

" fuch

"fuch qualities, that you can refign your "fceptre to him with as much fatisfaction "as I give up mine to you."

As foon as Charles had finished this long address to his subjects, and to their new fovereign, he funk into the chair, exhaufted, and ready to faint with the fatigue of fuch an extraordinary effort. During his difcourfe, the whole audience melted into tears; fome, from admiration of his magnanimity; others, foftened by the expreffions of tenderness towards his fon, and of love to his people; and all were affected with the deepest forrow, at loofing a fovereign, who had diftinguished the Netherlands, his native country, with particular marks of his regard and attachment.

A few weeks afterwards, Charles, in an affenbly no lefs fplendid, and with a ceremonial equally pompous, refigned to his fon the crowns of Spain, with all the territories depending on them, both in the Old and in the New World. Of all thefe vaft poffeffions he referved nothing to hin felf, but an annual penfion of a hundred thousand crowns, to defray the charges of his family, and to afford him a fmall fum for acts of beneficence and charity.

The place he had chofen for his retreat, was the monastery of St. Juftus, in the province of Eftramadura. It was feated in a vale of no great extent, watered by a fmall brook, and furrounded by rifing grounds, covered with lofty trees. From the nature of the foil, as well as the temperature of the climate, it was efteemed the most healthful and delicious fituation in Spain. Some months before his refignation, he had fent an architect thither, to add a new apartment to the monastery, for his accommodation; but he gave ftrict orders, that the ftyle of the building fhould be fuch as fuited his prefent fituation rather than his former dignity. It confifted only of fix rooms; four of them in the form of friars' cells, with naked walls; the other two, each twenty feet fquare, were hung with brown cloth, and furnished in the most fimple manner. They were all on a level with the ground; with a door on one fide, into a garden, of which Charles himself had given the plan, and which he had filled with various plants; intending to cultivate them with his own hands. On the other fide, they communicated with the chapel of the monastery, in which he was to perform his devotions. In this humble retreat, hardly fufficient

for the comfortable accommodation of a private gentleman, did Charles enter, with twelve domeftics only. He buried there, in folitude and filence, his grandeur, his ambition, together with all thofe vaft projects which, during half a century, had alarmed and agitated Europe, filling every kingdom in it, by turns, with the terror of his arms, and the dread of being fubjected to his power. Roberijon.

§ 255. An Account of MULY MOLUC.

When Don Sebaftian, king of Portugal, had invaded the territories of Muly Moluc, emperor of Morocco, in order to dethrone him, and fet his crown upon the head of his nephew, Moluc was wearing away with a distemper which he himself knew was incurable. However, he prepared for the reception of fo formidable an enemy. He was indeed fo far spent with his ficknefs, that he did not expect to live out the whole day, when the last decifive battle was given; but knowing the fatal confequences that would happen to his children and people, in cafe he should die before he put an end to that war, he commanded his principal officers, that if he died during the engagement, they fhould conceal his death from the army, and that they should ride up to the litter in which his corpfe was carried, under pretence of receiving orders from him as ufual. Before the battle begun, he was carried through all the ranks of his army in an open litter, as they flood drawn up in array, encouraging them to fight valiantly in defence of their religion and country. Finding afterwards the battle to go against him, though he was very near his laft agonies, he threw himself out of his litter, rallied his army, and led them on to the charge; which afterwards ended in a complete victory on the fide of the Moors. He had no fooner brought his men to the engagement, but finding himself utterly spent, he was again replaced in his litter, where laying nis finger on his mouth, to enjoin fecrecy to his officers, who flood about him, he died a few moments after in that posture.

Spectator.

vate centinel there happened between thefe two men a difpute about an affair of love, which, upon fome aggravations, grew to an irreconcileable hatred. Unnion being the officer of Valentine, took all opportunities even to ftrike his rival, and profefs the fpite and revenge which moved him to it. The centinal bore it without refiftance; but frequently faid, he would die to be revenged of that tyrant. They had spent whole months in this manner, the one injuring, the other complaining; when, in the midst of this rage towards each other, they were commanded upon the attack of the caftle, where the corporal received a fhot in the thigh, and fell; the French preffing on, and he expecting to be trampled to death, called out to his enemy, "Ah, Valentine! can you leave me here ?" Valentine immediately ran back, and in the midst of a thick fire of the French, took the corporal upon his back, and brought him through all that danger as far as the abbey of Salfine, where a cannon ball took off his head: his body fell under his enemy whom he was carrying off. Unnion immediately forgot his wound, rofe up, tearing his hair, and then threw himself upon the bleeding carcafs, crying, "Ah Valentine! was it for me, who have fo barbaroufly ufed thee, that thou haft died? I will not live after thee." He was not by any means to be forced from the body, but was removed with it bleeding in his arms, and attended with tears by all their comrades who knew their enmity. When he was brought to a tent, his wounds were dreffed by force; but the next day, ftill calling upon Valentine, and lamenting his cruelties to him, he died in the pangs of remorfe.

Tatler.

§ 257. An Example of Hiftorical Narration from SALLUST.

The Trojans (if we may believe tradition) were the firit founders of the Roman commonwealth; who, under the conduct of Eneas, having made their efcape from their own ruined country, got to Italy, and there for fome time lived a rambling and unfettled life, without any fixed place of abode, among the natives, an uncultivated people, who had neither law nor regular government, but were wholly free from all rule or refraint. This mixed multitude, however, crowding together into one city, though originally different in extraction, language, and cuftoms, united into one body, in a furprisingly fhort fpace of time.

And as their little ftate came to be improved by additional numbers, by policy, and by extent of territory, and feemed likely to make a figure among the nations, according to the common courfe of things, the appearance of profperity drew upon them the envy of the neighbouring ftcies; fo that the princes and people who br dered upon them, begun to feek occafions of quarelling with them. The alliances they could form were but few: for mot of the neighbouring flates avoided enbroiling themfelves on their account. The Romans, feeing that they had nothing to trutt to but their own conduct, found it neceffary to beflir themfelves with great diligence, to make vigorous preparations, to excite one another to face their enemies in the field, to hazard their lives in defence of their liberty, their country, and their families. And when, by their valour, they repulfed the enemy, they gave affistance to their allies, and gained friend. fhips by often giving, and feldom demanding, favours of that fort. They had, by this time, established a regular form of government, to wit, the monarchical. And a fenate, confifting of men advanced in years, and grown wife by experience, though infirm of body, confulted with their kings upon all important matters, and, on account of their age, and care of their country, were called fathers. Afterwards, when kingly power, which was originally eftablithed for the prefervation of liberty, and the advantage of the ftate, came to degenerate into lawlefs tyranny, they found it neceflary to alter the form of government, and to put the fupreme power into the hands of two chief magiftrates, to be held for one year only; hoping, by this contrivance, to prevent the bad effects naturally arifing from the exorbitant licentioufnefs of princes, and the indefeafible tenure by which they generally imagine they hold their fovereignty, &c. Sall. Bell. Catilinar.

258. The Story of DAMON

PYTHIAS.

and

Damon and Pythias, of the Pythagorean fect in philofophy, lived in the time of Dionyfius, the tyrant of Sicily. Their mutual friendship was fo ftrong, that they were ready to die for one another. One of the two (for it is not known which) being condemned to death by the tyrant, obtained leave to go into his own country, to fettle his affairs, on condition that the

other