they had any other Views than the lawful Poffeffion of each other in Marriage. It was that very Morning that he had obtain'd the Confent of her Parents, and it was but till the next Week that they were to wait to be happy. Perhaps in the Intervals of their Work they were now talking of their Wedding-Cloaths, and John was fuiting feveral Sorts of Poppies and Field-flowers to her Complexion, to chuse her a Knot for the Wedding-Day. While they were thus bufied, (it was on the laft of July between two and three in the Afternoon) the Clouds grew black, and fuch a Storm of Lightning and Thunder enfu'd, that all the Labourers made the beft of their way to what Shelter the Trees and Hedges afforded. Sarah was frightened, and fell down in a Swoon on a Heap of Barley. John, who never feparted from her, fate down by her Side, having rak'd together two or three Heaps, the better to secure her from the Storm. Immediately there was heard fo loud a Crack, as if Heaven had split afunder; every one was folicitous for the Safety of his Neighbour, and called to one another throughout the Field. No Anfwer being return'd to those who called to our Lovers, they step'd to the Place where they lay; they perceiv'd the Barley all in a Smoke, and then 'fpy'd this faithful Pair, John with one Arm about Sarah's Neck, and the other held over her, as to fkreen her from the Lightning. They were both ftruck in this tender Pofture. Sarah's left Evebrow was fing'd, and there appear'd a black Spot on her Breaft; her Lover was all over black, but not the leaft Signs of Life were found in either. Attended by their melancholy Companions, they were convey'd to the Town, and the next Day interr'd in Stanton-Harcourt Church-yard. My Lord Harcourt, at Mr. Pope's and my Requeft, has caufed a Stone to be plac'd over them, upon Condition that we should furnish the Epitaph, which is as follows:

When Eaftern Lovers feed the Funeral Fire,
On the fame Pile the faithful Pair expire;
Here pitying Heaven that Virtue mutual found,
And blafted both, that it might neither wound.
Hearts fo fincere th' Almighty faw well leas'd,
Sent his own Lightning, and the Victims feiz'd.

But my Lord is apprehenfive the Country People will not understand this; and Mr. Pope fays he'll make one with something of Scripture in it, and with as little Poetry as Hopkins and Sternhold.

I am, &c.

LET

LETTER V.

CICERO to ATTICU S.

Perceive from your Letter, and the Copy of my Brother's, which you fent with it, a great Alteration in his Affection and Sentiments with regard to you: which affects me with all that Concern, which my extreme Love for you both ought to give me; and with Wonder at the fame time, what could poffibly happen either to exasperate him fo highly, or to effect fo great a Change in him. I had obferved indeed before, what you also mistrusted at your leaving us, that he had conceived fome great Difguft, which fhocked and filled his Mind with odious Sufpicions: which tho' I was often attempting to heal, and especially after the Allotment of his Province, yet I could neither difcover that his Refentment was fo great, as it appears to be from your Letter, nor find, that what I faid had so great an Effect upon him as I wished. I comforted myself however with a Perfuafion, that he would contrive to fee you at Dyrrachium, or fome other Place in thofe Parts; and in that Cafe made no doubt, but that all would be fet right; not only by your Difcourfe and talking the Matter over between yourfelves, but by the very Sight and mutual Embraces of each other: For I need not tell you who know it as well as myfelf, what a Fund of Good Nature and Sweetnefs of Temper there is in my Brother; and how apt he is both to take and to forgive an Offence. But it is very unlucky that you did not fee him; fince by that Means, what others have artfully inculcated has had more Influence on his Mind, than either his Duty, or his Relation to you, or your old Friendship, which ought to have had the moft. Where the Blame of all this lies, it is eafier for me to imagine than to write; being afraid, left, while I am excufing my own People, I fhould be too fevere upon yours: For, as I take the Cafe to be, if thofe of his own Family did not make the Wound, they might at least have cured it. When we fee one another again, I fhall explain to you more eafily the Source of the whole Evil, which is fpread fomewhat wider than it seems to be. -As to

the Letter which he wrote to you from Theffalonica, and what you suppose him to have faid of you to your Friends at Rome,

and

and on the Road, I cannot conceive what could move him to it. But all my Hopes of making this Matter eafy depend on your Humanity. For if you will but reflect, that the best Men are often the moft eafy, both to be provoked, and to be appeased; and that this Quickness, if I may fo call it, or Flexibility of Temper, is generally the Proof of a Good Nature; and above all, that we ought to bear with one another's Infirmities or Faults, or even Injuries; this troublefome Affair, I hope, will be foon made up again. I beg of you that it may be fo. For it ought to be my fpecial Care, from the fingular Affection which I bear to you, to do every thing in my Power, that all, who belong to me, may both love and be beloved by you. There was no Occafion for that Part of your Letter, in which you mention the Oppor tunities which you have omitted, of Employments both in the City and the Provinces; as well at other times, as in my Confulfhip. I am perfectly acquainted with the Ingenuity and Greatnefs of your Mind; and never thought that there was any other Difference between you and me, but in a diffe-. rent Choice and Method of Life. Whilft I was drawn, by a fort of Ambition, to the Defire and Pursuit of Honours; you, by other Maxims, in no wife blameable, to the Enjoyment of an honourable Retreat. But for the genuine Character of Probity, Diligence, and Exactness of Behaviour, I neither prefer myself, nor any Man elfe to you. And as for Love to me, after my Brother, and my own Family, I give you always the fame Place. For I faw, and faw it in a manner the most affecting, both your Solicitude and your Joy, in all the various Turns of my Affairs; and was often pleafed, as well with the Applaufe which you gave me in Succefs, as the Comfort which you adminiftered in my Fears. And even now, in the time of your Abfence, I feel and regret the Lofs, not only of your Advice, in which you excel all, but of that familiar Chat with you, in which I used to take fo much Delight. Where then fhall I tell you that I moft want you? in public Affairs? (where it can never be permitted to me to fit idle) or in my Labours at the Bar? which I fuftained before through Ambition, but now to preferve my Dignity: Or in my domeftic Concerns? where, though I always wanted your Help before, yet fince the Departure of my Brother, I now ftand the more in need of it, In fhort, neither in my Labours, nor Reft; neither in Bufinefs, nor Retirement; neither in the Forum, nor at Home; neither in public, nor in private Affairs, can I live any

Jonger

longer without your friendly Counsel, and endearing Converfation. We have often been reftrained on both Sides, by a kind of Shame, from explaining ourselves on this Article; but I was now forced to it by that Part of your Letter, in which you thought fit to juftify yourself and your Way of Life to me. -But to return to my Brother: In the prefent State-of the ill Humour which he expreffes towards you, it happens however conveniently, that your Resolution of declining all Employments Abroad was declared and known long beforehand, both to me and to your other Friends; so that your not being now together cannot be charged to any Quarrel or Rupture between you, but to your Judgment and Choice of Life. Wherefore both this Breach in your Union will be healed again, and your Friendship with me remain for ever inviolable, as it has hitherto been.- We live here in an infirm, wretched, and tottering Republic: for you have heard, I guess, that our Knights are now almoft disjoined again from the Senate. The firft Thing which they took amifs, was the Decree for calling the Judges to Account who had taken Money in Clodius's Affair. I happened to be abfent when it paffed; but hearing afterwards that the whole Order refented it, tho' without complaining openly, I chid the Senate, as I thought, with great Effect; and in a Cause, not very modeft, fpoke forcibly and copioufly. They have now another curious Petition, fcarce fit to be endured; which yet I not only bore with, but defended. The Company who hired the fatic Revenues of the Cenfors, complained to the Senate, that, through too great an Eagernefs, they had given more for them than they were worth, and begged to be releafed from the Bargain. I was their chief Advocate, or rather indeed the Second; for CRASSUS was the Man who put them upon making this Requeft. The Thing is odious and fhameful, and a public Confeffion of their Rafhnefs: but there was great Reafon to apprehend, that if they should obtain nothing, they would be wholly alienated from the Senate: fo that this Point alfo was principally managed by me. For, on the Firft and Second of December, I fpoke a great deal on the Dignity of the two Orders, and the Advantages of the Concord between them, and was heard very favourably in a full House. Nothing however is yet done; but the Senate appears well difpofed. For METELLUS, the Conful elect, was the only one who spoke against us; tho' that Hero of ours, CATO, was going alfo to fpeak, if the fhortness of the Day had not prevented him.

Thus,

Thus, in pursuit of my old Measures, I am fupporting, as well as I can, that Concord which my Confulfhip had cemented: but fince no great Strefs can now be laid upon it, I have provided myself another Way, and a fure one, I hope, of maintaining my Authority; which I cannot well explain by Letter, yet will give you a fhort Hint of it. I am in ftriét Friendship with POMPEY. -I know already what you say— and will be upon my Guard, as far as Caution can ferve me; and give you a farther Account fome other time, of my prefent Conduct in Politics. You are to know, in the mean while, that LUCCEIUS defigns to fue directly for the Confulfhip; for he will have, it is faid, but two Competitors. CESAR, by Means of ARRIUS, propofes to join with him; and BIBULUS, by Pisc's Mediation, thinks of joining with CESAR. Do you laugh at this? Take my Word for it, it is no laughing Matter. What fhall I write farther? What? there are many Things; but for another Occafion. If you would have us expect you, pray let me know it. At present I fhall beg only modeftly, what I defire very earnestly, that you would come as foon as poffible.

You

LETTE R. VI.

MATIUS to CICERO.

OUR Letter gave me great Pleasure, by letting me fee you retain ftill that favourable Opinion of me, which I had always hoped and wifhed; and though I had never indeed any Doubt of it, yet for the high Value that I fet upon it, I was very folicitous that it fhould remain always inviolable. I was confcious to myself that I had done nothing which could reasonably give Offence to any honeft Man; and did not imagine therefore, that a Perfon of your great and excellent Accomplishments could be induced to take any without Reason, efpecially against one, who had always profefled, and ftill continued to profefs, a fincere good Will to you. Since all this then ftands just as I wifh it, I will now give an Answer to thofe Accufations, from which you, agreeably to your Charac

ter,