ff

the rest above their waist in water at a good distance from the banks. For my own part, I had the narrowest escape, and should certainly have been lost, had I not grasped a large beam that lay on the ground, till the water returned to its channel, which it didy almost at the same instant, with equal rapidity. As there now appeared at least as much danger from the seace as the land, and I scarce knew whither to retire for shelter, I took a sudden resolution of returning back, with my clothes all dripping, to the area of St. Paul's.

4. The new scenes of horrord I met with here exceed1 all description; nothing could be heard but sighs and groans; I did not meet with a soul' in the passage who was not19 bewailing the death of his nearest relations and dearest friends, or the loss of all his substance; I could" hardly take a single step, without19 treading on the dead or the dying: in some places lay coaches, with their masters, horses, and riders, almost crushed in pieces; here mothers, with infants in their arms; there ladies richly dressed, priests, friars, gentlemen, mechanics, either in the same20 condition, or just expiring; some had21 their backs or thighs broken, others vast stones on their breasts; some lay almost buried in the rubbish, and, crying out in vain to the passengers for succour, were left to perish with the rest.

5. As soon as it grew dark, another scene presented' itself little less shocking than those already described:" the whole city appeared" in a blaze,22 which was so bright that I could easily see to read by it.23 It may be said without exaggeration24 it was on 19 quin. 20 Explain particulars. 23 With lux (i). 24 rem augere.

17 habeo. 18 verba deficere. 22 flamma.

21 esse.

fire at least in a hundred3 different places at once, and thus continued' burning for six days together, without intermission, or25 the least attempt being made to stop its progress.)

6. It went on consuming every thing the earthquake had spared, and26 the people were so dejected and terrified, that few or none had" courage" enough to venture down to save any part of their substance; every one had his eyes turned towards the flames, and stood looking on with silent grief, which was only interrupted' by the cries and shrieks of women and children calling on the saints and angels for

1. TRAJAN1 was ambitious of fame; and,2 as long as mankind shall continue to bestow3 more liberal applause upon their destroyers than upon their benefactors, the thirst of military glory will ever be the vice of the most exalted characters. The praises of Alexander, transmitted by a succession of poets and historians, had kindled a dangerous emulation in the mind of Trajan. Like him, the Roman emperor undertook an expedition" against the nations of the East; but he lamented, 10 with a sigh, that his advanced age scarcely left him any hopes of equalling the renown of the son of Philip.

1 The proper name should in strictness be omitted, unless opposed to some other person, when it would be introduced by autem.

2 etenim (qq).

3 prosequi (1).

4 With homo, because it is not the same persons who are destroyed.

2. Yet the success of Trajan," however transient, was11 rapide and specious. The degenerate Parthians, broken by intestine discord, fled before his arms. He descended12 the river Tigris in triumph," from the mountains of Armenia to the Persian Gulf. He enjoyed the honor13 of beingo the first, as he was the last, of the Roman generals who ever navigated that remote sea. His fleets ravaged the coasts of Arabia; and Trajan vainly flattered himself 14 that he was approaching towards the confines of India. Every day the astonished senate received the intelligence of new names and new nations, that acknowledged his sway. They were informed that the kings of Bosporus, Colchis, Iberia, Albania, and even the Parthian monarch himself, had accepted their diadems from the hands of the emperor; that the independent tribes of the Median and Carduchian hills had implored his protection; and that the rich countries of Armenia, Mesopotamia, and Assyria, were reduced into the state of provinces.

11 utor (y).

12 devehi. 13 Lit. "by a singular fortune," &c. 14 Lit. “rejoiced, being deceived by a false hope." 15 identidem.

XXXIV. CHARACTER OF CATO. - Middleton.

In his private life' he was° severe, morose, inexorable, banishing" all the softer affections as natural1 enemies to justice, and as suggesting false motivesa from favor, clemency, and compassion. In public affairs he was the same; had but one rule of policy," -to adhere to what was right, without regard to times or circumstances, or even to force that could 3 Lesson 23, 2. c.

1 With natura.

2

amplecti.

4 New clause with adeo ut.

control him for instead of managing the powerdd of the great so as to mitigate the ill, or extract any good from it, he was always urging it to acts of violence by a perpetual defiance ; so that, with the best intention in the world, he often did great harm to the republic. This was his general behavior: yet from some particular facts explained above, it appears that his strength of mind was not impregnable, but had its weak places of pride, ambition, and party zeal, which, when encouraged" and flattered to a certain point, would betray10 him sometimes into measures" contrary to his ordinary rule of right and truth. The last act of his life was agreeable to his nature and philosophy. When he could not longer be what he had been, and when the ills of life o'erbalanced the good (which, by the principles of his sect,' was a just cause for dying), he put an end to his life with a spirit and resolution which would make one imagine that he was glad to have foundo an occasion of dying in his proper character. On the whole,12 his life13 was rather admirable than amiable, fit to be praised rather than imitated.14

5 Rel. clause with decere. 6 Clause with si (h).

7 constantia.

10 abducere, with personal subject. 13 With verb.

12 Clause with ut.

14 With exemplum proponere.

1. STUDIES serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use" for delight is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgment" and disposition of business; for expert men can execute, and perhaps

judge of particulars one by one; but the general counsels, and the plots1 and marshalling2 of affairs, come best from those that are learned. To spend too much time in studies, is sloth; to use them too much for ornament, is affectation; to make judgment wholly by their rules, is the humor" of a scholar. They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience; for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study; and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large,5 except they be bounded in by experience. Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them; for they teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom without them and above them, won by observation."

2. Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted, nor to find" talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts;10 others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly,11 but with dilligence and attention. Some books also may be read by deputy, and extracts made of them by others; but that would be" only in the less important arguments12 and the meaner sort" of books; else distillede books are like common distilled waters, flashy13 things."

3. Reading maketh a full man;" conference a ready man; and writing an exact man; and,a there