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to fell our coach in town, and to look out for a new fituation at a great distance from our acquaintance.

But unfortunately for my peace, I carried the habit of expence along with me, and was very near being reduced to abfolute want, when, by the unexpected death of an uncle and his two fons, who died within a few weeks of each other, I fucceeded to an eftate of feven thousand pounds a-year.

And now, Mr Fitz-Adam, both you and your readers will undoubtedly call me a very happy man: and fo indeed I was. I fet about the regulation of my family with the most pleafing fatisfaction. The fplendour of my equipages, the magnificence of my plate, the crowd of fervants that attended me, the elegance of my house and furniture, the grandeur of my park and gardens, the luxury of my table, and the court that was everywhere paid me, gave me inexpreffible delight, fo long as they were novelties: but no fooner were they become habitual to me, than I loft all manner of relish for them; and I difcovered in a very little time, that by having nothing to wish for, I had nothing to enjoy. My appetite grew palled by fatiety, a perpetual crowd of vifitors robbed me of all domeftic enjoyment, my fervants plagued me, and my steward cheated me..

But the curfe of greatnefs did not end here. Daily experience convinced me that I was compelled to live more for others than myself. My uncle had been a great party-man, and a zealous oppofer of all minifterial meafures; and as his eftate was the largest of any gentleman's in the county, he fupported an interest in it beyond any of his competitors. My father had been greatly obliged by the court-party, which determinedme in gratitude to declare myself on that fide: but the difficulties I had to encounter were too many and too great for me; infomuch that I have been baffled and defeated in almoft every thing I have undertaken. To defert the cause I have embarked in would difgrace me,. and to go greater lengths in it would undo me. I am engaged in a perpetual state of warfare with the principal gentry of the county, and am curfed by my tenants and dependants for compelling them at every election to

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vote (as they are pleased to tell me) contrary to their confcience.

My wife and I had once pleafed ourselves with the thought of being useful to the neighbourhood, by dealing out our charity to the poor and industrious; but the perpetual hurry in which we live, renders us incapable of looking out for objects ourselves; and the agents we entrust are either pocketing our bounty, or beftowing it on the undeferving. At night, when we retire to rest, we are venting our complaints on the miseries of the day, and praying heartily for the return of that peace which was only the companion of our humbleft situation.

This, Sir, is my hiftory; and if you give it a place in your paper, it may ferve to inculcate this important truth, that where pain, fickness, and abfolute want are out of the question, no external change of circumstances can make a man more laitingly happy than he was be. fore. It is to the ignorance of this truth, that the univerfal diffatisfaction of mankind is principally to be afcribed. Care is the lot of life; and he that afpires to greatness in hopes to get rid of it, is like one who throws Limfelf into a furnace to avoid the fhivering of an ague. The only fatisfaction I can enjoy in my prefent fitua tion is, that it has not pleafed heaven in its wrath to make me a king.

V. Battle of Pharfalia and Death of Pompey.

AS the armies approached, the two generals went from rank to rank, encouraging their troops. Pompey reprefented to his men, that the glorious occafion which they had long befought him to grant was now before them;" and, indeed," cried he, "what advantages could you with over an enemy, that you are not now poffeffed of? Your numbers, your vigour, a late victory, all affure a speedy and an eafy conqueft of those haraffed and broken troops, compofed of men worn out with age, and impreffed with the terrours of a recent defeat: but there is ftill a ftronger bulwark for our protection than the fuperiority of our ftrength-the juftice of our caufe. You are engaged in the defence of liberty and of your country; you are fupported by its laws, and followed by its magiftrates; you have the world fpec

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tators of your conduct, and wishing you fuccefs: on the contrary, he whom you oppofe is a robber and oppreffor of his country, and almost already funk with the confcioufness of his crimes, as well as the bad fuccefs of his arms. Show, then, on this occafion, all that ardour and deteftation of tyranny that should animate Romans, and do justice to mankind." Cæfar, on his fide, went among his men with that steady serenity for which he was fo much admired in the midst of danger. He infifted on nothing fo ftrongly to his foldiers as his frequent and unfuccessful endeavours for peace. He talked with terrour of the blood he was going to fhed, and pleaded only the neceffity that urged him to it. He de-plored the many brave men that were to fall on both fides, and the wounds of his country whoever fhould be victorious. His foldiers answered his fpeech with looks of ardour and impatience; which obferving, he gave the fignal to begin. The word on Pompey's fide, was Hercules the invincible: that on Cæfar's, Venus the vic-torious. There was only fo much space between both armies as to give room for fighting; wherefore Pompey ordered his men to receive the firft fhock without moving out of their places, expecting the enemy's ranks to be put into diforder by their motion. Cæfar's foldiers were now rufhing on with their usual impetuofity, when perceiving the enemy motionlefs, they all ftopt fhort as if by general confent, and halted in the midst of their career. A térrible pause enfued, in which both armies continued to gaze upon each other with mutual terrour. At length, Cæfar's men, having taken breath, ran furioufly upon the enemy, firft difcharging their javelins, and then drawing their fwords. The fame method was obferved by Pompey's troops, who as vigorously oppofed the attack. His cavalry alfo were ordered to charge at the very onset, which, with the multitude of archers and flingers, foon obliged Cæfar's men to give ground; whereupon Cæfar immediately ordered the fix cohorts that were placed as a reinforcement to advance, with orders to ftrike at the enemy's faces. This had its defired effect. The cavalry, that were but juft now fure of victory, received an immediate check: the unusual method of fighting purfued by the cohorts, their aiming.

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entirely at the vifages of the affailants, and the horrible disfiguring wounds they made, all contributed to intimidate them fo much, that, instead of defending their perfons, their only endeavour was to fave their faces. A total rout enfued of their whole body, which fled in great diforder to the neighbouring mountains, while the archers and flingers, who were thus abandoned, were cut to pieces. Cæfar now commanded the cohorts to purfue their fuccefs, and, advancing, charged Pompey's troops upon the flank. This charge the enemy withftood for fome time with great bravery, till he brought up his third line, which had not yet engaged. Pompey's: infantry being thus doubly attacked in front by fresh troops, and in rear by the victorious cohorts, could no longer refift, but fled to their camp. The right wing however, ftill valiantly maintained their ground. But Cæfar, being now convinced that the victory was certain, with his ufual clemency cried out, to pursue the ftrangers, and to fpare the Romans; upon which they all laid down their arms and received quarter. The greatest flaughter was among the auxiliaries, who fled on all quarters, but principally went for fafety to the camp. The battle had now lafted from the break of day till noon, although the weather was extremely hot; the conquerors, however, did not remit their ardour, being encouraged by the example of their general, who thought his victory not complete till he became master of the enemy's camp. Accordingly, marching on foot at their head, he called upon them to follow and ftrike the decifive blow. The cohorts which were left to defend the camp, for fome time made a formidable refiflance, par ticularly a great number of Thracians and other barbarians who were appointed for its defence: but nothing could refift the ardour of Cæfar's victorious army; they were at laft driven from their trenches, and all fled to the mountains not far off. Cæfar feeing the field and camp ftrewed with his fallen countrymen, was ftrongly affected at fo melancholy a profpect, and could not help crying out to one that ftood near him, "They would have it fo." Upon entering the enemy's camp, every object prefented fresh inftances of the blind prefumption and madnefs of his adverfaries. On all fides were to

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feen tents adorned with ivy, and branches of myrtle, couches covered with purple, and sideboards loaded with plate. Every thing gave proofs of the higheft luxury, and feemed rather the preparatives for a banquet, the rejoicings for a victory, than the difpofitions for a battle.

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As for Pompey, who had formerly shown such instances of courage and conduct, when he faw his cavalry routed, on which he had placed his fole dependence, he abfolutely loft his reafon. Inftead of thinking how to remedy this disorder, by rallying fuch troops as fled, or by oppofing fresh troops to stop the progrefs of the conquerors, being totally amazed by this unexpected blow, he returned to the camp, and, in his tent, waited the iffue of an event, which it was his duty to direct, not to follow. There he remained for fome moments without fpeaking; till, being told that the camp was attacked, What," fays he, are we pursued to our very entrenchments?" and immediately quitting his armour for a habit more suitable to his circumstances, he fled on horfeback; giving way to all the agonizing reflections. which his deplorable fituation muft naturally fuggeft. In this melancholy manner he palled along the vale of Tempe, and, pursuing the course of the river Peneus, at last arrived at a fisherman's hut, in which he passed the night. From thence he went on board a little bark, and, keeping along the fea-fhore, he defcried a fhip of fome burden, which feemed preparing to fail, in which he embarked, the master of the veffel ftill paying him the homage which was due to his former ftation. From the mouth of the river Peneus he failed to Amphipolis;.. where, finding his affairs desperate, he fteered to Lefbos to take in his wife Cornelia, whom he had left there at a distance from the dangers and hurry of the war. She, who had long flattered herself with the hopes of victory, felt the reverse of her fortune in an agony of distress. She was defired by the meffenger (whofe tears more than words proclaimed the greatness of her misfortunes) to hasten if she expected to fee Pompey, with but one fhip, and even that not his own. Her grief, which before was violent, became then infupportable; she fainted away, and lay a confiderable time without any figns of life. At length recovering herself, and reflecting it was

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