complish the bloody Deed, bore the Head through the City on the Point of his Lance, and, as fome aver, took out the Brains, and fill'd the Skull with melted Lead, that it might weigh the heavier. Val. Max. 1. 9. c. 4. I. A Of ANGER. NGER is a Weakness of Nature, base and contemptible: It is a Paffion moft pernicious to the Soul, and differs, as Cato fays, from Malice but in this, that it is lefs lafting. 2. A violent Fit of Anger caus'd the Death of the Emperor Valentinian, by breaking a Vein in his Neck, as he strain'd himself in the Extremity of his Paffion. 3. Athenodorus, taking Leave of Auguftus and knowing him to be much addicted to Passion, offer'd this Prescription, as a Means to avoid the ill Effects of it: Whenever, faid he, you find yourself transported by Rage, repeat the twenty-four Letters of the Greek Alphabet. Bapt. Campo. Fulgof. 1. 7. c. 2. 4. Cotys, King of Thrace, having been presented with feveral curious Veffels, made of Glass, broke them to Pieces as foon as he had recompenc'd the Bearer, left his Anger, which he knew himself too fubject to, fhould rafhly punish any of his Servants to whom fuch an Accident might happen. Plut. in Apoph. 5. The Emperor Theodofius, inflam'd with Rageagainst the People of Salonica, for having fomented a Sedition, and kill'd his Lieutenant; fent an Army thither, with Orders to exterminate them all. This Command was fo rigidly obey'd, that Men, Women, and Children, to the Number of fifteen thousand, were put to the Sword: Of which Rashness, the Emperor repenting, though too late, inftituted a Law, enacting, That the Execution of his Letters Patents fhould fhould be fufpended till thirty Days, after the Date thereof, were expir'd, whenever a more than ordinary Punishment was decreed to be inflicted. Baron. Ann. 390. 6. Plato feeling himself agitated with a violent Indignation against one of his Servants, for a Misdemeanor of great Importance; and feeing Zenocrates enter at the fame Time, said to him: If thou art truly my Friend, Iintreat thee to correct my Servant; for, at prefent, my Rage furmounts my Reason. Val. Max. 1. 4. c, I. 7. Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome, was endow'd with many confpicuous Virtues, but was fo exceffive in his Wrath, that the Death only of the Tranfgreffor could appease it. Being incens'd against Menefiheus, his Secretary, and feverely threatening him; this Minifter, knowing the Difpofition of his Mafter, bad Recourfe to a Stratagem for his Safety, which was politick, indeed, though heinous and deteftable. He drew up a counterfeited Lift of the Em peror's Hand, containing the Names of the principal Captains of his Army, not omitting his own, as of Perfons he had refolv'd to put to Death, and carry'd it to them; faying, he faw the fame Paper fall from the Emperor's Sleeve. They were all greatly attonifh'd but giving Credit to what they thought his own Hand-Writing, refolv'd to prevent the Fate defign'd for them, and fo went in a Body, and affafli. nated him. Guidon. ་་。 C I. B Of BABLERS.1. ABLERS, whom Phocion juftly calls the to empty Veffels, which found the more, the lefs is 2. Ariftotle being in Company with a great Babler, who afk'd him every Moment if what he related was not wonderful; Not at all, answer'd he; but 'tis a very great Wonder that a Man having Feet Should fay to hear thee talk. Plut. on Talkativeness. 3. To another that faid to him, after a long and tedious Difcourfe, Philofopher, I have wore thy Patience out: As how, anfwer'd he, for I did not obferve a Tittle thou faidft. Ibid. 4. Demofthenes maintained, that to fpeak much, and be eudur'd, a Man must be endow'd with the Mind of an Angel. Pliny is of the fame Opinion, and advises his Pupils to hear much, and fpeak little. 5. The City of Athens was taken, and demolish'a by Sylla, a Roman Dictator, his Spies having difcover'd the weakest and leaft guarded Places of the Fortifications by the Babble of fome old Men in a Barber's Shop. Plut. in his Treatife of Talkativeness. 6. The Valet de Chambre belonging to Archelaus, King of Macedon, being a very great Babler, afk'd his Majefty, one Day, how he would pleafe to be fhav'd. Without Speaking a Word, faid he. Plut. in the notable Sayings of Kings, &c. See Silence. J. Of BEAUTY. HERE are various Opinions concerning Beau Tty: Some place it in the Complexion, others in fome particular Feature; but the most juft, as well as most receiv'd one, is, that it confifts in a Regularity of Lines, which gives that fine Air to the Whole which is commonly call'd Beauty. 2. The greateft Heroes have been moft fenfible of the Power of Beauty, and have esteem'd it a Part of their Glory to be vanquish'd by it. 3. Chryfippus the Philofopher maintain'd, that Beauty was adorable: For the Gods, said he, make it after their own Likeness. 4. Beauty, 4. Beauty, whether it be natural or arrificial, deceives the Eyes, inchants the Mind, and takes away even the Defire of not being pleas'd with it. 5. Elicida, a Grecian Lady, was fo much in Love with the Picture of Protegalis, that the confefs'd, when dying, it was to the Sight of that beautiful Refemblance fhe ow'd her incurable Disease. "B Of BLASPHEMY. Lafphemy is the most deteftable of all Sins, because it seems wholly to extinguish, at once, all Fear and Love of the Divine Being. 2. The Blafphemer, fays the wife Man, is full of Iniquity: The Plague shall never depart from his Houfe, Eccluf. xxiii. 3. Holofernes, having blafphemously faid, there was no other God than Nabuchodonofor, was put to Death by Judith. Judith xiii. 4. Sennacherib, King of Allyria, having befieg'd the City of Jerufalem, became proud of his great Forces, and blafphem'd God: For which Reason, an Angel, the fame Night, deftroy'd an hundred and ninety thousand Men; and, in attempting to make his Escape, was himself flain, by his own Son. Cron. 1.2. c. 19. 5. In the old Law, Blafphemers were fton'd to Death. Naboth being accus'd, by two falfe Wit neffes, of this Crime, was fton'd. Gron. I. 1. c. 21. 1. C Of CHASTITY. Haftity is fo rare, that, Lucian fays, only the Name of it is to be found: And many have maintain'd, that this Virtue, as well as Juftice, has long long fince took her Flight to Heaven, leaving nothing of herself below but fome few ill-drawn Refemblances of her. Thus does the Malice of Time efface the Memory of the most glorious Examples. 2. Scipio Africanus had the Gift of Continence towards the young and beautiful Cleria; Alexander to the Wife of Darius; Lyfander to Portia. Plut. Lives. 3. The learned Marcia, Daughter of Mark Varron, was fo exemplary in her Modefty, that though fhe was the moft excellent Statuary and Paintrefs of her Time, fhe would never be perfuaded to draw the Figure of a Man. 4. Macring the Wife of Manlius Torquatus, fo much devoted herself to the Reputation of Chastity and conjugal Affection, that, during the Space of eleven Years, that her Husband was absent in the War, fhe never went out of her Houfe, never appear'd at a Window, nor was feen by any Man unveil'd: But after the Return of Torquatus, happening to be great with Child, fhe dy'd, through the violent Defire fhe had of beholding a Monfter that was carry'd through the Street before her Lodgings; rather than expofe herfelf to the View of the World, and forfeit that ftrict Reserve she had fo long, and fo faithfully pre ferv'd. 5. Jerome, Tyrant of Syracufe, being reproach'd with having a ftinking Breath, became exceedingly enrag'd, not against the Perfon who had told him of it, but against nis Wife, who had never taken notice of it: To which fhe, as modeftly as prudently, reply'd, that till then fhe knew not but it was an Imperfection common to all Men. By this Anfwer, the teftify'd a moft exemplary Chastity and Fidelity. Plut. in the notable Sayings, &c. 6. A Man of Quality having importun'd a Woman of Lacedemonia for a Favour which the did not think confiftent with her Chastity to grant, fpoke in this Manner, to his Servant, who brought her a Letter: When I was a Virgin, faid fhe, I did nothing without J having |