peace, fhould univerfally prevail. And that Congrefs fhall alfo earneftly recommend to the feveral ftates, that the estates, rights, and properties of fuch laft-mentioned perfons fhall be restored to them; they refunding to any perfons who may be now in poffeffion the bona fide price (where any has been given) which fuch perfons may have paid on purchafing any of the faid lands or properties fince the confifcation. And it is agreed, That all perfons who have any intereft in confifcated lands, either by debts, marriage fettlements, or otherwife, fhall meet with no lawful impediment in the profecution of their just rights. Art. VI. That there fhall be no future confiscations made, nor any profecutions commenced againft any perfon or perfons for or by reafon of the part which he or they may have taken in the prefent war; and that no perfon fhall, on that account, fuffer any future lofs or damage, either in his perfon, liberty, or property; and that those who may be in confinement on fuch charges at the time of the ratification of the treaty in America, fhall be immediately fet at li berty,and the profecutions fo commenced be difcontinued. Art. VII. There fhall be a firm and perpetual peace between his Britannic Majefty and the faid States, and between the fubjects of the one and the citizens of the other; wherefore all hoftilities both by fea and land fhall then immediately ceafe: all prifoners on both fides fhail be fet at liberty; and his Britannic Majefty fhall, with all convenient fpeed, and without caufing any deftruction, or carrying away any negroes, or other property of the American inhabitants, withdraw all his ar mies, garrifons, and fleets, from the said United States, and from every port, place, and harbour within the fame; leaving in all fortifications the American artillery that may be therein and fhall alfo order, and caufe all archives, records, deeds, and papers, longing to any of the faid States, or their citizens, which in the courfe of the war may have fallen into the hands of his officers, to be forthwith reftored and delivered to the proper States and perfons to whom they belong. be Art. VIII. The navigation of the Miffiffippi, from its fource to the ocean, fhall for ever remain free and open to the fubjects of Great Britain and the citizens of the United States. Art. IX. In cafe it fhould fo happen that any place or territory belonging to Great Britain or the United States fhould be conquered by the arms of either from the other before the arrival of thefe articles in America, it is agreed that the fame fhall be reftored without difficulty, and without requiring any compenfation. Done at Paris the 13th day of RICHARD OSWALD, (L. S.) CALEB WHITEFOORD, Secretary to the British Commiffion. W. S. FRANKLIN, CHA I CHARACTER S. Character of Auguftus Cæfar. From Dr. Bever's Legal Polity of the Roman State. T has been the fate of this If ought to have been, but to reprefent him as he actually was. by throwing a fhade over those defects, where it can be introduced with propriety, we can I prince, with many their appearance, if * others in the fame exalted station, to be tranfmitted to pofterity in two oppofite views both of which being too much difguifed by falfe colours, it is as difficult to cleanfe him from the dark stains of calumny as from the gaudy fmear of adulation. It would be needlefs to repeat what has fo often been urged on each fide, upon fo interefting and popular a topic; fuffice it, therefore, to indulge our curiofity with a few obfervations upon one particular part of this celebrated character, which has been the fubject of more general cenfure, and for which his conduct too, often fupplied occafion. As we are not now attempting to draw the fpotlefs portrait of a patriot king, a prodigy which never exifted, unlefs in the reveries of vifionary politicians, we are not concerned about what he by accounting for fome dubious inftances of his behaviour, upon principles that are lefs difgraceful to the human heart, there may be a chance of approaching nearer to the real truth, we fhall then enjoy the pleafing opportunity of doing fome little juftice to the memory of a very eminent perfonage, who, with all his ble mifhes, was both an ornament and bleffing to his country. All his defamers, whether ancient or modern, feem, as it were, to have been angry with him for ceafing to be a tyrant, because he undoubtedly was fuch when he first prefumed to place himself at the head of the commonwealth; ftriving to make us believe that a profound hypocrify predominated through the very best of his actions; as if a man who had been once bad could not poffibly reform; and every token of re "Apud prudentes, vita ejus varie extollebatur, arguebaturve." Tac. Ang. 1. 9. Their fentiments are to be found at large in the fame paffage. Pietatem erga parentuin, et tempora reipublicæ, obtentui fumpta." Tac. Ann. 1. 10. VOL. XXV. B pentance pentance for past misconduct were only to add one more vice to his former number. That Auguftus wanted that greatnefs of mind, that fearless openness of heart, which were the peculiar characteristics of Julius Cæfar, may be admitted without being imputed as a crime. The complexion of the foul in its original formation, is no more within a man's own power than the complexion of his countenance. Both indeed may be improved by labour and cultivation; but in confequence of certain natural defects, cannot, with all the art of man, be heightened into abfolute perfection. Allowing him, therefore, to have been inferior in these natural endowments, it was at worst only his misfortune. But had he been poffefled of them in a still more exalted degree, the very temper of the times would have prevented h'm from exerting them in their full latitude. Surrounded as he was with a mifcellaneous multitude, it behoved him to study their difpofitions, and to watch their motions, in order to guard against the machinations either of open enemies, or treacherous friends. The inftance of his il luftrious ancestor ftill bleeding before his eyes, who had himself fallen a victim to his too great contempt of fufpicion, admonished him to beware of the concealed dagger, to ftifle his refentment, and look with complacency, even upon his fufpected affaifin. This conftant referve and cir cumfpection, therefore, was the natural confequence of that perilous eminence whereon he flood; without implying the leaft malicious defign against the peace and liberties of his country. On the contrary, if actions speak the man, we fhall be well juftified in affirming, that tyrannically as he began his career, the virtues of the prince were a reasonable atonement for the vices of the triumvir. When once difengaged from his pernicious connections with his abandoned affociates, and in quiet poffeffion of an imperial throne, his life was tainted with fewer grofs blemishes than generally fall to the lot of thofe whom Providence has been pleased to intruft with any portion of fovereign authority. A courfe of near forty years indefatigably employed in the faithful administration of justice-in preferving an immenfe dominion in a general ftate of union and tranquillity-in cultivating the arts of peace-in improving the comforts and elegancies of domeftic life; and in the exercise of every other benevolent and patriotic virtue, clearly difplays the real complexion of the heart, and loudly calls upon all mankind to give it full credit for fincerity. If to accomplish thefe beneficial and noble purposes, if, the more effectually to govern a feditious people, long ufed to all the wildnefs of licentioufnefs, he found it neceffary on occafion to ftudy *Multa Antonio ut intefectores patris ulcifceretur, multa Lepido concef"fiffe. Poftquam hic focordia fenuerit, ille per libidines peffum datus fit: "nos aliud difcordantis patriæ remedium fuiffe, quam ut ab uno regeretur." Tac. Ann. 1. 9. their inclinations, to temporize with their humours, to restrain or conceal his own love of abfolute power, and to alleviate the weight of the yoke, that they might all bear it with greater cheerfulness, thefe are no other than the laudable artifices of the most confummate wisdom, such as the foundest policy need not blush to avow, nor the mildeft government to practife. To stigmatize fuch behaviour with the odious names of hypocrify or cowardice, is not only a violation of the first principles of common charity, but it is (what the great fatirist knew to be too deeply rooted in the nature of man) a malicious joy in mifconftruing and inverting the moral qualities of human actions *. But had the heart of this illuftrious prince been fo truly corrupt, we should never have feen the pen of his profeft encomiaft glowing with fuch rapturous praifes of political liberty; nor the most firm and ftubborn champion of it that Rome ever beheld, the avowed and irreconcileable enemy of the whole blood of the Cæfars, drawn under the most fublime and maieftic of all characters, the giver of laws to the bleffed fpirits in Elyfiumt. Much leis fhould we have heard the inhuman Mezentius fo warmly imprecating those calamities, which had undefervedly fallen upon his innocent and amible ton Laufus; and pathetically confeffing the juftice of thofe punifhments, which he then fuffered from the well-grounded refentment of his much injured people +. This is too bold and dangerous a language for a poet to echo in the ears of a tyrant: had Auguftus, therefore, actually merited that opprobrious name, where now would have been the works of Virgil! He who refcued his memory from oblivion, and gave immortality to his mufe, contrary to the exprefs will of the too modest author, "At nos virtutes ipfas invertimus, atque "Infidias, nulloque malo caput obdit opertum; Hor. Sat. 1. 3. 55. &c. Obfervations which apply fo very clofely to the cafe before us, that one would almost imagine them introduced by this ingenious fatiri, as an oblique anfwer to fome malevolent afperfions, which might have been thrown out against the character of his princely patron. +"Secretofque pios, his dantem jura Catonem." Virg. Æn. 8. 670. A confeffion likewife, which in a manner he repeats with his dying breath : "Scio acerba meorum Ib. v. 994. "Circumftare odia." B2 muft muft not only have admired his genius, but have applauded his principles. The prince therefore who at once profeffes himself a friend to learning, and an enemy to liberty; who ftrives to enlighten the understanding of his fubjects, only to make them more fenfible of their own wretchednefs, is a monfter which human nature, pregnant as he is with contradictions, has very rarely exhibited to the eye of the world. It is the bleffed property of the liberal arts to mollify the rudeness of the manners, and to calm the natural ferocity of the paffions. The rank and poifonous weeds of flavery will fhrink and wither away, when overshadowed by the luxuriant and fertile branches of found literature. The court of Auguftus was the true feat of politenefs and humanity; and was adorned with the brighteft conftellation of genuine wits that ever fhone at the fame inftant in any age or country, from the beginning of time. In this facred afylum, every science that could harmonize the mind or improve the heart, was fure of being embraced with the moft cordial affection. Infpired himself by a mature educatic, with the warmeft zeal for every kind of ingenuous and useful knowledge §, he neither wanted judgment to difcern real abilities in others, nor generofity to reward them. To prefide in the assemblies of the poets, orators, historians, and philofophers, to fubmit his own productions to their candid and friendly criticifms, were among the most favourite amusements of his leifure hours; and while he liftened with attentive pleasure to the rehearsals of their elegant compofitions, his fmiles gave life to genius, and wings to emulation t. Honours fo judiciously conferred redounded with double luftre upon his own character. A mind occupied in fuch rational and benevolent purfuits, could find no room for the lawless fuggeftions of ambition or power; but at perfect eafe in itself, was able to ftrike even his enemies with awe and reverence, and, without one painful effort, to fecure to a wide and extenfive empire the fubftantial comforts of univerfal peace and domeftic happiness. Neither was it lefs to his glory to have had a Mæcenas for his friend and counfellor, whofe household was the confummate model of refined elegance; where modeft merit never wanted a patron; where friendfhip dwelt without jealoufy, erudition without contention, wit without petulance, and where the moft accomplished "Eloquentiam ftudiaque liberalia ab ætate prima cupidè et laboriofiffimè "exercuit." Suet. in Aug. 84. "Multa varii generis profa oratione compofuit, ex quibus nonnulla in cætu familiarium, velut in auditorio, recitavit." Ib. 85. + "Ingenia omnibus modis fovit. Recitantes et benigne et patienter audi"vit: nec tantum carmina et hiftorias, fed et orationes et dialogos." Suet, in Aug. 89. "At neque dedecorant tua de fe judicia, atque "Munera, quæ multà dantis cum laude tulerunt, Dilecti tibi Virgilius Variufque poetæ.” Hor. Ep. 2. 1. 245. fcholars |