at length destroyed by Scipio, the fecond Africanus, in the third Punic war. The conduct of the wife of Afdrubal, the Carthaginian commander, on this occafion is worthy of narration. After upbraiding the perfidious wretch, her husband, with delivering himfelf up to the Romans, the feized her children, flew them, cast them into the flames of Efculapius's temple, which the Roman deferters, defpairing of pardon, had fet on fire, and iminediately rufhed into the fame conflagration, where the perifhed. How many years did that city's catastrophe precede the prefent year 1810? Ans. 1956.

N. B. The wars between the Romans and Carthaginians were called Punic; a word faid by fome to be derived from pani, an antiquated Latin term fignifying falfe, faithlefs perfons; the latter people being, at all times, noted for breach of faith. Be this etymology, however, well or ill founded, Punica fides, or Carthaginian integrity, became, after the middle age of the Roman fate, a proverbial irony to denote fraud and perfidy.

Thou art able to inftruct grey hairs,
And teach the wily African deceit.

ADDISON'S CATO.

Long has your Carthage been renown'd for fraud,
The fpecious feeming, and the deep-hid guile;
Sincerity is not the growth of Afric.

HAVARD'S REGULUS.

The fact, however, is, that Pani and Punicus are corruptions of Phoeni, Phenicians, of which people Car-. thage was originally a colony. Hence the word was applied to the Carthaginians long before the Romans accufed them of treachery.

No. 24.

DESTRUCTION OF XANTHUS.-Xanthus was the metropolis of Lycia, a diftrict of Afia Minor, fomewhat N. E. of the island of Rhodes. The inhabitants of this once famous city have acquired great celebrity in ancient hiftory, like thofe of SAGUNTUM and NUMANTIA, fpoken of in the 15th and 16th queftions, and on a fimilar account; a renown which time

fhall

fhall not obfcure,, while the love of FREEDOM is esteemed an elevated and virtuous affection.

"In liberty's defence, fight conftant, fingle

"Die with her-'tis no life if you survive her." Thefe brave people, when the Romans became masters of their city, 42 years B. C. being determined not to furvive the lofs of liberty, deftroyed their wives and children, fet their city on fire, and perifhed in the conflagration, as their ancestors had before done, rather than fubmit to Harpagus, Cyrus's lieutenant, or to Alexander, the conqueror of Afia. How long did the deftruction of Xanthus precede the year 1810? Anf. 1852 years.

No. 25. BATTLE OF PHARSALIA.-Pharfalia was a town of Theffaly, now Janna, which gives name to a province of European Turkey; and in the neighbourhood is a large plain, long famous for the great and decifive battle between POMPEY and CÆSAR. The iffue proved fatal to the former commander, who, after a total defeat, fled to Egypt, where he was treacherously flain, by order of Ptolemy the younger, then a minor*, and his body thrown naked on the ftrand, expofed to the view of all whofe curiofity led them that way, till it was burnt by his faithful freedman Philip, and an ol Roman foldier who had ferved under Pompey in his youth.

A mercenary wretch, named Theodotus, one of the counfellors who was confulted how this brave commander fhould be treated, obferved, "That dead dogs bite not; "a vulgar and malicious joke, which probably ena bled Gray to remark to Queen Elizabeth, concerning the unfortunate Mary, queen of Scots," that dead women bite nott." Pothinus, tutor to Ptolemy, alfo advifed the monarch to murder Pompey. He stirred up commotions in Alexandria, when Cæfar came there; upon which the conqueror ordered him to be put to death ‡.

*

See Rollin, vol. vii. p. 250, &c. and alfo Plutarch's Life of Pompey.

+ See Tindal's Rap. vol. vii. p. 491.
See Pothinus, Lempriere's Dictionary.
C4

A poem

A poem of LUCAN, in which he gives an account of the civil wars of Cæfar and Pompey, bears the name of PHARSALIA.

"His numbers fhall to latest times convey

"The tyrant Cæfar, and Pharfalia's day."

Dr. Johnfon terms Rowe's tranflation of Lucan's Pharfalia one of the greateft productions of English poetry; and afferts, that it will be more esteemed as it is more read.

The principal characters are those of Pompey, Cæfar, Cato, and Brutus. Lucan was put to death for being concerned in a confpiracy against the imperial monfter" NERO.

The engagement at Pharfalia took place 48 years B. C. How long is that ago this current year 1810? Anf. 1858.

N. B. After this battle CATO retired to Utica, near Tunis, in Africa; where, not choofing to furvive the liberties of his country, he killed himself. See Chrono logical and Biographical Exercifes, 4th edition,

No. 26. DEATH OF CESAR.-Julius Cæfar, the famous Roman general and hiftorian, invaded this coun54 years B. C. Having at length fubdued Pompey, the great rival of his growing power, and still pursuing his favourite maxim, "That he would rather be the first man in a village, than the fecond in Rome," he aimed at the imperiignity; in confequence of which, the friends of the civil liberty of the republic affaffinated him in the fenate-house. He received twenty-three wounds from his murderers.

In the Spada palace at Rome is kept the very statue at the feet of which Cæfar fell; and thofe who fhow it never fail to relate his care to die gracefully; which was likewife the laft defire that occupied the mind of Lucretia*, and of the renowned Pompey, when he was bafely murdered.

The

Lucretia was the wife of Collatinus, and the cause of the revo on of Rome from a monarchy to a republic. This virtuous lady being

The "matchlefs BRUTUS-the laft of Romans," as Thomson ftyles him, was one of the principal confpirators. His character, uniting feverity of principle with gentleness and humanity of difpofition, added to firmness in virtuous action, is finely drawn by Shakspeare:

This was the nobleft Roman of them all;
All the confpirators, fave only he,
Did what they did in envy of great Cæfar;
He only, in a gen'rous, honeft thought,
And common good to all, made one of them.
His life was gentle; and the elements

So mix'd in him, that nature might stand up,
And fay to all mankind, THIS WAS A MAN !

Cæfar is faid to have fought 50 pitched battles, in which 1,920,000 human beings were butchered. The affaffination of this" beft of cut-throats" took place 42 years B. C. How long is that ago this present year 1810 Anf. 1852.

N. B. The defeat and death of Brutus and Caffius at PHILIPPI, in Macedonia", where thefe brave and stre

nuous

being violated by Sextus the fon of, Tarquin, king of Rome, ftabbed herfelf 509 years B. C. The bloody poniard, with her dead body, expofed to the fenate, were the fignal for Roman liberty; the expul fion of the Tarquins, and the abolition of the regal dignity, being inftantly refolved on, and carried into execution.

Brutus paffing through Athens, in his way to Macedonia, took feveral young gent' men from thence to the army with him: among thefe was HORACE, whom he made a tribune: an honour, as it foon appeared, that he could not pretend to for his valour; for at the battle of Philippi, he left the field and fled, having firft fhamefully thrown away his fhield, which was reckoned 'a most dishonourable action: much more fo than to throw away a fword or helmet; becaufe, fays Plutarch, thofe weapons are only beneficial to the perfon himfelf; whereas the former is of general fervice to the rest of the army.

Horace mentions his efcape from this battle among three inftances of divine protection; which as a poet he attributes to the mufes, who had marked him out for their own, whilst he was yet a child:

nuous republicans engaged the Cæfarean party, commanded by Octavius Cæfar and Mark Anthony, put a final period to the popular government at Rome, soon after the death of Julius Cæfar.

The wife of Brutus was PORTIA, "6 a woman well reputed, CATO's daughter." She had formerly wounded herself feverely, to extort from her husband the caufe of his apparent uneafinefs; and now, fcorning to furvive Brutus, and perceiving that every weapon of deftruction was removed from her reach, the embraced death by fwallowing burning coals. Thus has Portia left behind her an everlasting argument, how far a generous treatment can make the tender fex go, even beyond the refolution of man, when we allow that they are by nature formed to pity, love, and fear; and we with an impulfe to ambition, danger, and adventure.

Hiftory has recorded feveral fimilar inftances of conjugal affection and fortitude in the fair fex. We shall content ourfelves with felecting the two following.

The affectionate PANTHEA plunged a poniard into her heart, and expired upon the dead body of her husband Abradates, who had been flain in battle. They were both buried upon the fpot in one common grave, and a monument was erected for them by Cyrus, which was ftanding in the time of Xenophon.

The mufest did their poet fhield

At fam'd Philippi's bloody field

And from the falling tree and formy main,

To grace their facred fpring, preferv'd their grateful-swain.

OLDSWORTH.

The profeffed courage of fome other poets has proved as incapable, on trial, of standing the teft of danger, as that of Horace. Archilocus efcaped precipitately from the field of battle, and threw away his shield, a circumstance which he shamelessly avowed. The fame misfortune is faid to have happened to Alcæus, in a battle between the Athenians and Mitylenæans, and his arms were fufpended as a trophy.

* Three domeftics belonging to Panthea facrificed themselves to the manes of their deceased benefactor, when she ftabbed herself.

+ See Exercifes on the Globes, 4th edit.

When