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ciliation, and Hered poured out his whole foul to her in the warmest proteftations of love and conftancy; when amidft all his fighs and languifhings the asked him, whether the private orders be left with his uncle Jofeph were an inftance of fuch an inflamed affection. The jealous king was immediately roufed at fo unexpected a queftion, and concluded his uncle must have been too familiar with her, before he would have difcovered fuch a fecret. In short, he put his uncle to death, and with difficulty prevailed upon himself to spare Mariamne.

AFTER this he was forced on a fecond journey into Egypt, when he committed his lady to the care of Schemus, with the fame private orders he had before given his uncle, if any mischief befel himself. In the mean while Marianne fo won upon Sohemus by her prefents and obliging converfation, that he drew all the fecret from him, with which Herod had entrusted him; fo that after his return, when he flew to her with all the transports of joy and love, he received him coldly with fighs and tears, and all the marks of indifference and averfion. This recep

tion foftirred up his indignation, that he had certainly flain her with his own hands, had not he feared he himself fhould have become the greater fufferer by it. It was not long after this, when he had another violent return of love upon him; Mariamne was therefore fent for to him, whom he endeavoured to foften and reconcile with all poffible conjugal careffes and endearments; but fhe declined his embraces, and anfwered all his fondnefs with bitter invectives for the death of her father and her brother. This behaviour fo incenfed Herod, that he very hardly refrained from ftriking her; when in the beat of their quarrel there came in a witness, fuborned by fome of Marianne's enemies, who accused her to the king of a defign to poifon him. Herod was now prepared to hear any thing in her prejudice, and immediately ordered her fervant to be ftretched upon the rack; who in the extremity of his tortures confest, that bis mistress's averfion to the king arose from fomething Schemus had told her; bu as for any defiga of poifoning, he utterly difowned the leaft knowledge of it. This confeffion quickly proved fatal to Sobemus, who now lay under the fame fufpicions and fentence that Jofeph had before him on the like occafion. Nor would Herod reft

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here; but accufed her with great vehemence of a defign upon his life, and by his authority with the judges had her publicly condemned and executed. Herod foon after her death grew melancholy and dejected, retiring from the public ad ninistration of affairs into a folitary forest, and there abandoning himfelf to all the black confiderations, which naturally arife from a paffion made up of love, remorfe, pity and defpair. He used to rave for his Mari amne, and to call upon her in his distracted fits; and in all probability would foon have followed her, had not his thoughts been feafonably called off from fo fad an object by public ftorms, which at that time very nearly threatened him.

No 172.

Monday, September 17.

Non folum fcientia, que eft remota a juftitia, calliditas potius quam fapientia eft appellanda; verum etiam animus paratus ad periculum, fi fua cupiditate, non utilitate communi, impellitur, audacia potius nomen habeat, quam fortitudinis. PLATO apud TULL.

As knowledge, without justice, ought to be called cunning, rather than wisdom fo a mind prepared to meet danger, if excited by its own eagerness, and not the public good,. deferves the name of audacity, rather than of courage.

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HERE can be no greater injury to human fociety, than that good talents among men fhould be held honourable to thofe who are endowed with them, without any regard how they are applied. The gifts of nature and accomplishments of art are valuable but as they are exerted in the interefts of virtue, or governed by the rules of honour. We ought to abftract our minds from the obfervation of any excellence in thofe we converfe with, till we have taken fome notice, or received fome good information of the difpofition of their minds; otherways the beauty of their perfons, or the charms of their wit, may make us fond of thofe whom our reafon and judgment will tell us we ought to abhor.

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WHEN We fuffer ourselves to be thus carried away by mere beauty, or mere wit, Omniamante, with all her vice, will bear away as much of our good-will as the most innocent virgin or difercet matron; and there cannot be a more abject flavery in this world, than to dote upon what we think we ought to condemn; yet this must be our condition in all the parts of life, if we fuffer ourselves to ap prove any thing but what tends to the promotion of what is good and honourable. If we would take true pains with ourfelves to confider all things by the light of reafon and juftice, tho' a man were in the height of youth and amorous inclinations, he would look on a coquette with the fame contempt or indifference as he would upon a coxcomb the wanton carriage in a woman would difappoint her of the admiration which the aims at ; and the vain drefs or difcourfe of a man would deftroy the comeliness of bis. fhape, or goodness of his understanding I fay, the goodnefs of his understanding, for it is no less common to fee men of fenfe commence coxcombs, than beautiful women become immodeft. When this happens in either, the fayour we are naturally inclined to give to the good quali ties they have from nature should abate in proportion. But however juft it is to measure the value of men by the application of their talents, and not by the eminence of those qualities abftracted from their use; Ifay, however juft fuch a way of judging is, in all ages as well as this, the contrary has prevailed upon the generality of mankind. How many lewd devices have been preferved from one age to another, which had perifhed as foon as they were made, if painters and fculptors had been efteemed as much for the purpofe as the execution of their defigns? Modeft and well-governed imaginations have by this means loft the reprefentations of ten thoufand charining portraitures, filled with images of innate truth, generous zeal, courageous faith, and tender humanity; inftead of which, fatyrs, fuvies, and monfters are recommended by thofe arts to a fhameful eternity.

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THE unjust application of laudable talents is tolerated in the general opinion of men, not only in fuch cafes as are here mentioned, but alfo in matters which concern ordinary life. If a lawyer were to be cfteemed only as he ufes his parts in contending for juftice, and were immedia

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ately difpicable when he appeared in a caufe which he could not but know was an unjust one, how honourable would his character be? And how honourable is it in fuch among us, who follow the profeffion no otherways, than as labouring to protect the injured, to fubdue the oppreffor, to imprison the careless debtor, and do right to the painful artificer? But many of this excellent character are over looked by the greater number who affect covering a weak place in a client's title, diverting the courfe of an inquiry, or finding a skilful refuge to palliate a falfhood: yet it is ftill called eloquence in the latter, though thus unjustly employed; but refolution in an affaffin is according to rea fon quite as laudable, as knowledge and wifdom exercifed in the defence of an ill caufe.

WERE the intention ftedfaftly confidered, as the meafure of approbation, all falfhood would foon be out of countenance; and an address in imposing upon mankind, would- i be as contemptible in one state of life as another. A couple. of courtiers inaking profeffions of efteem, would make the faine figure after breach of promife, as two knights of the poft convicted of perjury. But converfation is fallen fo low in point of morality, that as they fay in a bargin, Let the buyer look to it; fo in friendship, he is the man in danger who is most apt to believe: he is the more likely to fuffer in the commerce, who begins with the obligation of being the more ready to enter into it.

BUT thofe men only are truly great, who place their ambition rather in acquiring to themfelves the confcience of worthy enterprizes, than in the profpect of glory which attends them. Thefe exalted fpirits would rather be fecretly the authors of events which are ferviceable to mankind, than, without being fuch, to have the public fame of it. Where therefore an eminent merit is robbed by artifice or detraction, it does but increafe by fuch endeavours of its enemies: the impotent pains which are taken to fully it, or diffufe it among a croud to the injury of a fingle perfon, will naturally produce the contrary effect; the fire will blaze out, and burn up all that attempt to finother what they cannot extinguish..

THERE is but one thing neceffary to keep the poffeffi- on of true glory, which is, to hear the oppofers of it with patience, and preferve the virtue by which it was acquired.

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When

When a man is thoroughly perfuaded that he ought neither to admire, with for, or purfue any thing but what is exactly his duty, it is not in the power of feafons, perfons or accidents, to diminish his value. He only is a great man who can neglect the applaufe of the multitude, and enjoy himself independent of its favour. This is indeed an arduous task; but it should comfort a glorious fpirit that it is the highest step to which human nature can arrive. Triumph, applaufe, acclamation, are dear to the mind of man; but it is still a more exquilite delight to fay to your felf, you have done well, than to hear the whole human race pronounce you glorious, except you yourself can join with them in your own reflections. A mind thus equal and uniform may be deferted by little fafnionable admirers and followers, but will ever be had in reverence by fouls like itfelf. The branches of the oak endure all the feafons of the year, though its leaves fall off in autumn; and thefe too will be reftored with the returning fpring.

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No 173.

Tuesday, September 18.

Remove fera monftra, tuæque

Saxificos vultus, quæcunque ca, tolle Medufe.

OVID. Met. I. 5. v. 26r.

Remove that horrid monfer, and take hence-
Medufa's petrifying countenance.

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Na late paper I mentioned the project of an ingenious author for the erecting of feveral handicraft prizes to be contended for by our British artifans, and the influ ence they might have towards the improvement of our several manufactures. I have fince that been very much furprized by the following advertisement which I find in the poft-boy of the 11th inftant, and again repeated in the poft-boy of the 15th.

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hill-heath in Varwickshire, a plate of fix guineas value, three heats, by any horfe, mare or gelding that hath not won above the value 5. the winning horse to

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