committed to writing an account of the principal transactions of the day. He retired late to rest, and never slept more than seven hours.

His

33. The person of Augustus was noble, handsome, and graceful. His countenance had a peculiar look of serene majesty, and his eyes were full of fire and animation. eyebrows were large, and met together. He had an aquiline nose, and curling hair, rather inclining to a yellow colour. In stature he did not reach above the middle height, but his limbs were so well set and proportioned, that he appeared taller than he really was. In his constitution he was far from robust, especially towards the decline of life. But by taking great care of his health, and by exercise, diet, and a moderate use of the bath, he attained an age far beyond that of the ordinary duration.

34. In early youth he devoted himself to the study of eloquence, and obtained much success in this pursuit. He took great pains with his speeches that were to be addressed to the senate; always carefully writing them beforehand, though he was by no means deficient in a natural fluency of speech; but he feared that if he trusted to his extempore powers, he should say more or less than was proper. His tone of voice was a sweet and peculiar one, which he had learned from a master who had diligently instructed him in the art of delivery.

in

Among his amusements was that of composition both prose and verse. His style was considered to be a good one, and free from all that could offend the ear of the critic. He laboured especially to obtain ease and simplicity in writing, considering that one of the chief excellencies of a literary work was its freedom from all extravagance of diction and affectation of manner.

35. This Emperor seems to have been the first person who devised a method of communication, which bears some analogy to our postal regulations. To obtain the speedier intelligence of what passed in the provinces, he at first placed young men at moderate distances along the military roads, and afterwards vehicles, to bring him letters. In the sealing of these, or of other instruments, he at one time used the figure of a Sphinx; subsequently the head of Alexander the Great, and at last his own, engraven by the hand of Dioscorides, which the succeeding princes

likewise continued to make use of. He was extremely precise in the dating of his letters, putting down exactly the time of day or night at which they were dispatched.

36. With regard to the prevailing prejudice in favour of the truth of portents, omens, and dreams, Augustus betrayed a mind fully possessed with the delusions of the age in which he lived. His terror on such occasions sometimes showed itself in a way that was ridiculous. In a storm of thunder and lightning he would retire into a vault under ground; and he usually carried about with him a seal skin-an article supposed to be a means of preservation at such times. Upon his own dreams, and those of his friends, he laid much stress; and it was believed that he saved himself at the battle of Philippi by having left his tent at the instance of a friend, who had dreamt that his life would be there unsafe. On a cer

tain day of the year, he publicly begged an alms of the people, holding out his hand as a supplicant, with the idea of thus being secured from some calamity with which one of his own dreams had threatened him.

Certain signs and omens he regarded as infallible; if in the morning his shoe was put on wrong, or the left instead of the right, it was always interpreted as a dismal presage; and when he set out on a journey by sea or land, a misty rain was held to be a good sign of a speedy and fortunate return.

37. From the whole of this view of the reign and conduct of Augustus, it will appear that the superiority which he obtained in his age and country was owing not so much to extraordinary qualities of mind or body, as to his caution, moderation, and artful policy. He understood well the spirit and the temper of the times in which he lived; and in exactly suiting himself to these consisted his secret of governing mankind. Profiting at first by his station and position, then by his fears, and lastly by the ascendancy which victory over his rivals had given him, he secured possession of the imperial authority, still preserving among the Romans (as long as he lived) the image at least of civil liberty and of good govern

ment.

SUMMARY OF ERA THE SECOND.

1. The peculiarity of this era.-2. The birth of Octavius.-3. The Triumvirate and the battle of Philippi.—4. The rise of Octavius.-5. He dissolves his connection with Lepidus and Marc Antony.-Conquers Egypt, and makes it a Roman province.-6. The wars of Octavius.-7. Extent of the Roman Empire at this time.-8. Augustus makes triumphal processions after his victories.-9. A peaceful sovereign.-10. He shuts the Temple of Janus three times in his reign.-11. Proposes to resign his authority as Emperor, but afterwards consents to hold it for a limited period.-12. The Emperor's power.-13. Augustus shows great humility, and a dislike of pompous titles; illustrations of his general conduct.-14. He makes many beneficial regulations.-15. He reforms the senate.-16. Puts restrictions on attendance at the public spectacles.-17. Evidences of his generosity of disposition.-18. The conduct of Augustus towards foreign powers.-19. He visits the eastern provinces; anecdote of the voluntary immolation of a Brahmin in the presence of his court.-20. The Emperor effects great improvements in the city; deposits immense wealth in the Capitol.-21. His zeal for the religion of his country; gifts to the Jewish temple; the policy of his government; his regard for the memory of distinguished Romans. -22. His opinion of the conduct of a good general.23. His moral character stained with the vices of his age; an account of his family; his nephew Marcellus; his daughter Julia, &c.-24. His love of the society of men of genius; Virgil and Horace his companions.-25. Virgil's treatment by the Emperor, and by the Roman people.-26. The Emperor's conduct towards Cicero and Ovid an exception.-27. The peaceful death of Augustus.-28. Omens supposed to have attended his birth and death.-29. Augustus a great benefactor to the state.-30. His last will; his diary.-31. His residences; his love of what was beautiful and curious.—32. His mode of living; his entertainments; diet and division of his time.-33. Description of

the Emperor's person and bodily constitution.-34. His study and practice of elocution; his attention to literary composition.-35. His arrangements for the conveyance of letters; his seals, &c.-36. His fears of lightning, and superstition respecting dreams, &c.; his attention to omens.-37. General estimate of the character of Augustus-of the causes of his success as Emperor.

47

ERA THE THIRD.

THE LIFE OF TITUS VESPASIAN.

THE ROMAN POWER TRIUMPHANT IN JUDEA, AND THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.

1. TITUS VESPASIAN, as he is commonly called, was the tenth Roman Emperor, or the ninth reckoning from Augustus. His proper name, or the name which he bears in Roman history, when written at full length, was Titus Flavius Vespasianus Augustus. The first of these titles marked the individual, being equivalent to our Christian name; the second denoted the race from which he descended, or the Flavii; the third, the particular family belonging to that race, or the Vespasians; the last was a mere honorary title, derived from the first Emperor to whom it was given.

2. The history of the Emperors who immediately succeeded Augustus presents but few bright spots, upon which the memory could wish to dwell. They were, for the most part, some of the worst characters which have disgraced the annals of Rome. Tiberius, upon whom the imperial mantle fell (A.D. 14) after the decease of Augustus, Îeft a name polluted by vices and cruelties of the most abominable kind. Another monster followed him, distinguished by the nickname of Caligula (A.D. 37), whose brief reign of four years presents a scene of profligacy, madness, and atrocious crimes, of which the world has had but few such examples. After him succeeded Claudius (A.D. 41), whose reign of about fourteen years, was chiefly memorable for the conquest of a large portion of Britain (A.D. 43), and