Book II. yet have him die in her Arms; but for fear they should fail, and left they should leave their Hold in the Fall, and thro' Fear, the tied herself fast to him by the Waist, and fo gave up her own Life to procure her Husband's Repofe. This was a Woman of a mean Family, and, even amongst that Condition of People, 'tis no very new Thing to fee some Example of uncommon Good-nature.

From hence did Juftice take her Flight, and here
The Prints of her departing Steps appear.

The Story of the Death of Arria, the Wife of Cecina Pætus.

War)

The other two are Noble and Rich, where Examples of Virtue are rarely lodged. Arria, the Wife of Cecina Pætus, a confular Perfon, was the Mother of another Arria, the Wife of Thrafea Patus, whofe Virtue was fo renowned in the Time of Nero, and, by Means of this Sonin-Law, the Grand-mother of Fannia: For the Refemblance of the Names of these Men and Women, and their Fortunes, has led many into a Mistake. This firft Arria (her Hufband Cecina Patus having been made Prisoner by fome of the Emperor Claudius's People, after Scribonianus's Defeat, whose Party he had embraced in the begged of those who were carrying him Prifoner to Rome, that they would take her into their Ship, where ⚫ fhe should be of much lefs Charge and Trouble to them than a great many Perfons they muft otherwise have to • attend her Husband, and that the alone would undertake to ferve him in his Chamber, his Kitchen, and all • other Offices *.' But they refused her, wherefore she put herself into a Fishing-boat fhe hired on a sudden, and in that Manner followed him from Sclavonia. Being come to Rome, Junia, the Widow of Scribonianus, one Day, confidering the Refemblance of their Fortunes, and accofting her in the Emperor's Prefence, in a familiar Way, fhe rudely repulsed her with thefe Words, Shall I, faid fhe, speak to thee, or give Ear to any Thing thou fayeft; to thee, Plin. Ep. 16. lib. iii.

k

Virg. Georg. lib. ii. v. 473.

in

in whose Lap Scribonianus was flain, and thou yet alive?' Thefe Words, with several other Signs, gave her Friends to understand, that she would undoubtedly dispatch herfelf, impatient of fupporting her Hufband's Fortune. And Thrafea, her Son-in-Law, befeeching her not to throw away herself, and faying to her, • What! If I should run the fame Fortune that Cecina has done, would you that your Daughter, my Wife, should do the fame? Would I replied fhe, yes, yes, I would, if she had lived as long, and in as good Agreement with thee as I have done • with my Husband. These Anfwers made them more careful of her, and to have a more watchful Eye on her Deportment. One Day, having faid to thofe that looked to her, ''Tis to much Purpofe that you take all this Pains to prevent me; you may indeed make me die an ill • Death, but to keep me from dying is not in your Pow'er;' and, fuddenly rufhing from a Chair wherein she fat, she ran her Head madly, with all her Force, against the next Wall, by which Blow being laid flat in a Swoon, and very much wounded, after they had with much ado brought her to herself, I told you, faid the, that, if you ⚫ refused me fome eafy Way of dying, I fhould find out another, how painful foever.' The Conclufion of fo admirable a Virtue was thus: Her Husband Pets, not having Refolution enough of his own to difpatch himself as he was by the Emperor's Cruelty enjoined; one Day, amongst others, having first employed all the Reasons and Exhortations which the thought most prevalent, to perfuade him to it, fhe fnatched the Ponyard he wore from his Side, and, holding it ready in her Hand, to make short of her Admonitions, Do thus, Patus,' faid fhe; and in the fame Instant gave herself a mortal Stab in her Breast, and then, drawing it out of the Wound, presented it to him, ending her Life with this noble, generous, and immortal Saying, Pate, non dolet, Patus, it hurts

،

me not;' having only Strength to pronounce thofe never to be forgotten Words.

Cafta fuo gladium cum traderet Arria Pato,

Quem de vifceribus traxerat ipfa fuis:

3

Si

Si qua fides, vulnus quod feci, non dolet, inquit ;
Sed quod tu facies, id mihi, Pate, dolet.

i. e.

When the chafte Arria gave the reeking Sword, That had new gor'd her Heart, to her dear Lord; Patus, the Wound I've made hurts not, quoth fhe; The Wound which thou wilt make, 'tis that hurts me. The Action was much more noble in itself, and of a richer Dye than the Poet could exprefs it; for she was fo far from being deterred by her Husband's Wound and Death, and her own, that he had been the Promotrefs and Adviser of both; but, having performed this high and courageous Enterprise for her Husband's only Convenience, the had, even in the laft Gafp of her Life, no other Concern, but for him, and for difpoffeffing him of the Fear of dying with her. Patus presently ftruck himself to the Heart with the fame Weapon, ashamed, I believe, to have stood in Need of fo dear and precious an Example. Pompeia Paulina, a young and very noble Roman Lady, had married Seneca in his extreme old Age. Seneca's Wife. Nero, his hopeful Pupil, fent his Guards to denounce the Sentence of Death' to him, which was performed after this Manner: When the Roman Emperors of thofe Times had condemned any Man of Quality, they fent to him, by their Officers, to chufe what Death he would, and to make that Election within fuch, or such a Time, which was limited, according to the Mettle of their Indignation, to a fhorter or longer Refpite, that they might therein have Leifure to difpofe of their Affairs; and fometimes depriving them of the Means of doing it, by the Shortness of the Time; and, if the condemned seemed unwilling to fubmit to the Order, they had People ready at Hand to execute it, either by cutting the Veins of the Arms and Legs, or by compelling them to fwallow a Draught of Poison: But Perfons of Honour would not stay this Neceffity, and made use of their own Physicians and Surgeons for this Purpose. Seneca, with a calm and steady Countenance, heard the Charge, and then called n Tacit. Annal. lib. xv. c. 61, 62.

Mart. lib. i. Ep. 14.

•

led for Paper to write his Will, which being by the Captain denied, he turned himself towards his Friends, saying to them, Since I cannot leave you any other Acknowledgment of the Obligation I have to you, I leave you, at least, the best Thing I have, namely, the Image of my Life and Manners, which I intreat you to keep in Memory of me; that, fo doing, you may acquire the • Glory of fincere and real Friends.' And therewithal, one While appeafing the Sorrow he faw them in, with gentle Words, and then raifing his Voice to reprove them; What, faid he, are become of all our fine Precepts of Philofophy? What are become of all the Provisions we have fo many Years laid in against the Accidents of • Fortune? Was Nero's Cruelty unknown to us? What ⚫ could we expect from him who had murdered his Mother and his Brother, but that he should put his Governor to Death, who had bred him up and educated him?' After having spoke these Words in general, he turned hiinfelf towards his Wife, and, embracing her fast in his Arms, as, her Heart and Strength failing her, fhe was ready to fink down with Grief, he begged of her, • For his Sake to bear this Accident with a little more Patience, telling her, that now the Hour was come ⚫ wherein he was to fhew, not by any more Argument and Reason, but by Effect, the Fruit he had reaped from his Studies; and that he really embraced his Death, not only without Grief, but with Joy: Wherefore, my Deareft, faid he, do not difhonour it with thy Tears, that it may not seem as if thou lovest thyself more than my Reputation. Moderate thy Grief, and comfort thyfelf in the Knowledge thou haft had of me and of 'my Actions, leading the Remainder of thy Life in the ⚫ fame virtuous Manner thou haft hitherto done.' To this Paulina, having a little recovered her Spirits, and warmed her great Soul with a moft generous Affection, replied,

་

No, Seneca, faid fhe, I am not a Woman to fuffer you to go without my Company in fuch a Neceffity; I will 'not have you to think that the virtuous Examples of your Life have not yet taught me how to die well, and when can I ever better, or more decently do it, or more

'to

Book II, to my own Defire, than with you? And therefore affure yourself I will go along with you.' Seneca, taking this fo amiable and glorious Refolution of his Wife exceeding kindly at her Hands, and being alfo willing to free himself from the Fear of leaving her expofed to the Mercy and Cruelty of his Enemies after his Death; I have, • Paulina, faid he", fufficiently inftructed thee in what • would serve thee happily to live; but thou more coveteft, I fee, the Honour of dying: In Truth, I will not grudge it thee; the Conftancy and Refolution in our · common End may be the fame, but the Beauty and Glory of thy Part is greater.' This faid, the Surgeons at the fame Time cut the Veins of both their Arms, but, because those of Seneca being more fhrunk up, as well with old Age as Abftinence, made his Blood to flow too slowly, he moreover commanded them to open the Veins of his Thighs; and, left the Torments he endured from it might pierce his Wife's Heart, and alfo to free himself from the Affliction of feeing her in fo fad a Condition, after having taken a very affectionate Leave of her, he intreated the • would fuffer them to carry her into the next Room,' which they accordingly did; but, all these Incifions being not enough to make him die, he commanded Statius Anneus, his Phyfician, to give him a Draught of Poison, which had not much better Effect; for, by Reason of the Weaknefs and Coldnefs of his Limbs, it could not reach to his Heart, wherefore they were forced to fuperadd a very hot Bath; and then, feeling his End approach, whilst he had Breath, he continued excellent Difcourfes upon the Subject of his present Condition, which his Secretaries wrote down, as long as they could hear his Voice; and his last Words were long after in high Honour and Esteem amongst Men, and it was a great Lofs to us, that they were not referved down to our Times: Then, feeling the last Pangs of Death, with the bloody Water of the Bath he bathed his Head, faying, This • Water I dedicate to Jupiter the Deliverer. Nero, being presently advertised of all this, fearing left the Death of Paulina, who was one of the best defcended Ladies of

Rome,

Tacit. Annal. lib. xv. c. 63.

• Idem, ibid. c. 64.