whose yearly income was not sufficient for the maintenance of an army. He was consul in the year of the City 699, and having marched into Judea, and plundered the Temple at Jerusalem, he declared his intention of proceeding against the Parthians. His friends advised him not to go, but he slighted their counsel.2 On entering Parthia, he found himself no match for the enemy, partly from his ignorance of their country, and partly from their peculiar tactics. He sustained a crushing defeat, and the greater part of his army was destroyed. The barbarians being convinced that he had undertaken the expedition to increase his wealth, cut off his head, and poured molten gold into his mouth, saying that now he might take his fill of that which while living he had always thirsted after.

M.

1 Ferunt eum dixisse. 2 Make this one clause, and cp., roganti amico, &c., respondi, my friend asked me, &c., and I replied.

17. Charles the Twelfth.

Charles the Twelfth succeeded to the Throne of Sweden in 1697, when he was only fifteen years of age. At his coronation1 he impatiently seized the crown from the hands of the Archbishop of Upsala, and placed it on his head himself. He had as a youth made a most diligent study of the whole history of Alexander the Great, and being one day asked by his preceptor, what opinion he entertained of that prince, he replied, "I think he was such a king as I should like to be ". On his preceptor reminding him that he had lived but 32 years, Charles asked if that age had not sufficed for the performance of immortal exploits. From this answer it was easy to foretell what sort of a prince Charles would be. He died six years older than Alexander.

1 Quo die regnum auspicatus est.

M.

18. The most Precious Burden.

So many and so great defeats did the forces that beseiged Winbergen, a city of Germany, sustain, that the Emperor, when at length he made himself master of it, resolved to inflict signal punishment on all the male inhabitants. To show, however, that he was not completely destitute of humanity, he caused a proclamation to be

made that the women, whose condition he had often pitied, were at liberty to depart, and take with them whatever they could carry. The Emperor, who thought they would have loaded themselves with jewels, dresses, and such like, had scarcely done speaking, when he saw them carrying each a man on her back; and so highly was he pleased with this noble instance of their love, that he not only suffered them to go away with their first burden, but also bade them go back and carry away another. M.

19. John De Medici.

1

Florence, by carrying on a war against the Duke of Milan, had contracted a debt which it appeared scarcely possible for so small a state to discharge; and John De Medici proposed that a tax should be levied which should fall on himself and the rest of the wealthy citizens. This procured him the love of the whole people; but he would accept none of the honours offered to him. At the approach of death, he said to his two sons, "I leave you a name, which I believe is universally honoured, and a fortune honestly acquired. Keep aloof from all those dignities in which there can be any suspicion that your power might pervert justice. Accept of such offices as may be offered you, without your seeking them and see that you enter into no clandestine schemes."

:

1 See Antibarbarus. The speech may be made in Oratio Obliqua.

M.

20. Canute and the Courtiers.

Canute, the first Danish King of England, was greatly beloved by his subjects; and the courtiers not content with saying that he was the most powerful prince that had ever lived, affirmed that all nature was under his control, and that nothing was impossible for him. To check this impious flattery, he caused a chair to be placed on the shore while the tide was rising, and commanded the sea to retire, as if he had been the ruler of the waters. When, however. the sea advanced and began to wet him with its waters and spray. he turned to his now ashamed courtiers, and bade them learn how absurdly they had ascribed to him that power which belongs to Hin. alone whose eternal laws heaven, earth, and sea obey.

1 Contentus won't do. 2 Take care of the tense.

M.

21. Death of Edward I.

Robert the Bruce, having gathered together the remains of his army, suddenly attacked the Earl of Pembroke, and gave him a great defeat. It is well known to those skilled in our history that King Edward, when intelligence of this was brought him, burst into a rage, and ordered all the forces of his kingdom to be summoned, intending to march with them into Scotland, and strike such terror into the hearts of the inhabitants, that they would not venture on another battle or offer any further resistance. He was, however, seized with a disease which he felt was mortal, and, sending for the prince, his son, he told him that there were three things in particular which he wished to be done by him when he succeeded to the throne. “My dear Edward,” said he, "I see that I am dying; carry my bones with you through Scotland till you reduce the whole of that country; cause my heart to be sent to the Holy Land; and recall not Piers 2 Gaveston from the banishment into which on your account I have sent him. Remember my dying 3 commands, and let my prayers avail you as you obey me in these respects." He died on Friday, 7th July, 1307, in the 68th year of his age, having reigned 34 years, 7 months, and 21 days.

M.

1 Mortalis won't do. 2 Petrus. 3 See Concrete. 4 Dies Veneris (or else omit).

22. Bibulus.

"My

When Pompey was consul for the third time, and had as colleague Metellus Scipio, a year which was remarkable for great civil dissension at Rome, Bibulus, who had been associated with Cæsar in the consulship seven years before, was sent by him into Syria as proconsul. How he discharged this office, which to any skilful person ought not to have been a difficult one, may be understood from what Cicero jocularly 2 said to one of his friends who received the same post, A.U.C. 710, several years after Bibulus perished at sea. dear Cornificius," said the orator, "I congratulate you on Cæsar's bestowing the province of Syria upon you, but I am afraid you have not yet as many forces as are necessary to resist the Parthians. I advise you therefore not to fight till the legions arrive which I hear are coming, but imitate the prudent and commendable example of Bibulus, who, when the same enemies were approaching, retired to. Antioch, and remained there till the danger was over."

1 Omit verbs and word colleague. 2 Participle.

M.

23. Charles the Fifth.

Charles the Fifth, Emperor of Germany, was born on the 24th February, 1500. He was the greatest man that the house of Austria ever produced, and his biographers, of whom there are not a few, affirm with certainty that if he had not had a rival in Francis, King of France, he would have subdued the whole of Europe. He said one day to this prince, "What a pity it is, Francis, that you and I, who are more than a match for all others, should ever disagree. Yet, if we had not war at intervals, the rude and fierce people over whom we reign would doubtless fight against us, which would be a much worse business." At the age of 55 he divested himself of all his authority and retired into a monastery 3 in Castile, where he died three years after. What his reason was for laying aside his power is by no means certain.

M.

1 A leap-year? 2 Circumlocution. 3 No classical word for-use Eccl. monasterium, or caænobium.

24. A Female Orator.

Hortensia, daughter of the orator Hortensius, showed herself worthy of her illustrious father. The Triumvirs, Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus, decreed that the Roman women should be obliged to declare what wealth they had, in order that a tax might be imposed on them to defray the expenses of a war. It was at the same time intimated that those women, who either refused to comply, or did not tell the truth, should be fined the half of their possessions, and a reward was offered to all persons, whether freedmen or slaves, who should discover their secret. Hortensia,' attended by other women, waited on the Triumvirs, and made a speech which has not come down to our times, but which we know from Quintilian and others was excellent and worthy of her sire.

1 Make the whole passage a period.

M.

25. Solon and Thales.

2

Solon in the course of his travels is said to have visited his contemporary, Thales of Miletus. In the course of conversation he expressed his wonder that Thales had never married. The latter said nothing at the time, but a few days after he secretly employed a stranger to say in the hearing of Solon that he had just come from

Athens. Solon asked what was the news at Athens. The stranger, well-trained to his part, replied, "Nothing, except that a young man was being carried out for burial, and the whole city was attending his funeral; for he was the son of a man famed for wisdom and virtue, then in foreign lands".

1 Quum peregrinaretur. 2 Gerund with preposition. 3 Join this sentence to previous one, using a participle for asked.

3

26. Solon and Thales-(continued).

“Oh! what a wretched man," cried Solon; "but what was his name?" "I heard," replied the stranger, "but it has slipped from my memory. All I remember is that there was much talk1 of his wisdom and justice." Solon, whose fears were increasing at every fresh reply, now asked in great perturbation whether it was Solon. "Yes," replied the other. Then the philosopher smote his head, and spoke and acted as those do that are overwhelmed by grief. Thales with a gentle smile seized his hand and said, "These things, which overwhelm so brave a spirit as Solon, have kept me from marriage. But do not trouble thyself-what thou hast heard is false. Thy son lives." 2 Ad. 3 Not necessary. 4 See concrete.

1 In ore esse.

27. Sybaris.

Sybaris was a town of Lucania in Italy, founded by the Achæans; and there are writers whose authority is far from being contemptible,1 who maintain that it was the most ancient settlement that the Greeks had in that country.2 At one time the inhabitants were so powerful that, if Strabo may be believed, their generals could take the field with 300,000 men; and the neighbouring cities, to the number of one-and-twenty or more, were tributary to them. They did not, however, bear this great good fortune as they ought, but became such votaries of pleasure that whatever was sumptuous or effeminate was called Sybaritic. It seems they had a practice of introducing horses at their feasts so trained that at the sound of a flute they raised themselves on their hind legs, and with their fore-feet and heads performed certain wonderful motions.

M.

1 Use verb, not adjective. 2 See idioms under Relative Sentences. Use deditus or appetens.