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public and private life of the Romans, by the instrumentality of a tale, which should carry him through many of its most characteristic and curious scenes. Upon the whole, we think he has not managed with perfect skill in weaving his plot into his manners; and as we shall presently see, he makes great inroads into historical probability, for the sake of bringing a succession of pictures from Roman life before the reader's eye. Among the principal sketches are the profession of a lawyer and the pleadings in the court of the Centumviri. These are fairly introduced, for the errand which brings Valerius to Rome is his succession to an inheritance, and Licinius, his kinsman, is the lawyer and orator, to whose person these details are attached. Then we have a picture of the country life of the Romans, as led in their suburban villas. This, however, scarcely extends beyond a description of their gardens; while a philosophical conversation between two noble Romans and the Greek rhetoricians, that are in their service, is intended to represent the tone of polite and cultivated intercourse. In general, the character of the mercenary Greek pedagogue is one of the prominent pictures from Roman life, on which the author has seized, and his treatment of it is not unsuccessful. Xerophrastes, whose name, for the benefit of our fair readers, means much the same as Dryproser, is a philosopher of the Stoic school, employed by Licinius as the instructer of his son Sextus. His stoical philosophy is made to contrast ludicrously with his sensuality, cowardice, and adulation; though, we think, in making him an object of the coquetry of the lady Rubellia, the author has exceeded the bounds of probability. We shall take occasion, before the close of our article, to quote a very spirited scene between the worthy Xerophastes. and Rubellia.

Another picture, on which our author has lavished much care, is the description of the amphitheatre, and of the contests of the wild beasts. There is a great deal of learning in this portion of the work, not ostentatiously displayed upon the surface, but thoroughly wrought into the texture. We think the following description of the confusion of the throng around the amphitheatre written with great spirit and effect.

Musing and meditating thus, it was no wonder, that I, who knew so little of Rome, should have soon wandered from the straight way to the home of my kinsman. In truth, but that I at last caught, at the turning of a street, a glimpse of the Flavian

Amphitheatre, which I had before passed on my way from the feast of Rubellia, and of which I had been hearing and thinking so much during my visit to the quarters of the Prætorians, I might, perhaps, have been long enough discovering whereabouts I was. I had a pretty accurate notion of the way from that grand edifice to the house of Licinius, and therefore moved towards it immediately, intending to pass straight down from thence into the Sacred Way. But when I came close to the amphitheatre, I found that, surrounded on all sides by a city of sleep and silence, that region was already filled with all manner of noise and tumult, in consequence of the preparations which had begun to be made for the spectacles of the succeeding day. The east was just beginning to be streaked with the first faint blushes of morning; but the torches and innumerable lanterns, in the hands of the different workmen and artificers employed there, threw more light than was sufficient to give me an idea of all that was going forwards. On one side, the whole way was blocked up with a countless throng of wagons; the conductors of which, almost all of them Ethiopians and Numidians, were lashing each others horses, and exchanging, in their barbarous tongues, violent outcries of, I doubt not, more barbarous wrath and execration. The fearful bellowings that resounded from any of the wagons, which happened to be set in motion amidst the choaking throng, intimated that savage beasts were confined within them; and when I had discovered this, and then regarded the prodigious multitude of the wagons, I cannot say what horror came over me at thinking what cruel sights, and how lavish in cruelty were become the favorite pastimes of the most refined of people. I recognized the well-known short deep snort of the wild boar, and the long hollow bark of the wolf; but a thousand fierce sounds, mingled with these, were equally new and terrific to my ears. One voice, however, was so grand in its notes of sullen rage, that I could not help asking a soldier, who sate on horseback near me, from what wild beast it proceeded. The man answered, that it was a lion; but then what laughter arose among some of the rabble, that had overheard my interrogation; and what contemptuous looks were thrown upon me, by the naked negroes, who sate grinning in the torch light on the tops of their carriages. Then one or two of the soldiers would be compelled to ride into the midst of the confusion to separate some of these wretches, fighting with their whips about precedence in the approaching entrance to the amphitheatre; and then it seemed to me that the horses could not away with the strong sickly smell of some of the beasts, that were carried there, for they would prance and caper, and rear on end, and snort as if panic struck, and dart themselves towards the other side; while some of the riders were thrown off in the midst of the tumult, and

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others, with fierce and strong bits, compelled the frightened or infuriated animals to endure the thing they abhorred; in their wrath and pride, forcing them even nearer than was necessary to the hated wagons. In another quarter, this close mingled pile of carts and horses was surmounted by the enormous heads of elephants, thrust high up into the air, some of them with their huge lithe trunks lashing and beating (for they too, as you have heard, would rather die, than snuff in the breath of these monsters of the woods,) while the tiaraed heads of their leaders would be seen tossed to and fro by the contortions of those high necks, whereon for the most part they had their sitting places. There was such a cry of cursing, and such a sound of whips and cords, and such blowing of horns, and whistling and screaming; and all this mixed with such roaring, and bellowing and howling from the savage creatures within the caged wagons, that I stood, as it were aghast and terrified, by reason of the tumult that was round about me.' vol. i. pp. 190—195.

But the portion of the manners, history, and character o. the age, on which the author has bestowed the most care, is the persecution of the christians under Trajan. The celebrated correspondence between Pliny and Trajan, which is thrown, by way of illustration, into a note at the close of the work, serves as the ground work of the representations he has given. The plot, moreover, is made to turn wholly on events resulting from this persecution. We fear a portion of our readers have been a little disconcerted to find us advancing so fast in our account of a novel, and to have mentioned the hero three or four times, without having said any thing of a heroine. By way of amende, therefore, we hasten to assure them that there is a heroine to the story, and will presently introduce them to her, by an extract. Sextus, the son of Licinius, being of nearly the same age as Valerius, our hero, naturally falls into a close intimacy and confidence with him. Sextus is designed by his father as the second husband of Rubellia, a rich, youthful, and beautiful widow, whom we have already named; but the young Roman is already enslaved, by the fair Sempronia. To the country house of the father of Sempronia he takes occasion to steal away from the forum, and carries his friend Valerius with him. It is unnecessary to say that Sempronia's cousin, the pensive Athanasia, becomes the mistress of Valerius, and the heroine of the book.

To this reproach I made no reply, but Capito immediately began to recite some noble verses of a hymn of Callimachus, in

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Valerius, a Roman Story.

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which both the Greeks joined him; nor could any thing be more delightful than the deep rolling grandeur of those harmonious numbers A sudden exclamation of Sextus, however, ere long interrupted their recitation, and Capito, looking up a long straight pathway, leading from the villa, said, "Come, Valerius, we shall soon see whether you or Sextus is the more gallant to living beauties, for here come my two nieces, Athanasia and Sempronia; and I assure you, I don't know of which of them I am the more proud. But Sempronia has indeed more of the Diana about her, so it is probable she may find a ready slave in our friend Sextus.""

We advanced to meet the young ladies who were walking slowly down the avenue, and their uncle having tenderly saluted them, soon presented us to their notice. Sextus blushed deeply when he found himself introduced to Sempronia, while in her smile, although she looked at him as if to say she had never seen him before, I thought I could detect a certain half-suppressed expression of half-disdainful archness, the colour in her cheeks at the same time being not entirely unmoved. She was indeed a very lovely girl, and in looking on her light dancing play of beautiful features, I could easily sympathise with the young raptures of my friend. Her dress was such as to set off her charms to the utmost advantage. for the bright green of her Byssine robe, although it would have been a severe trial to any ordinary complexion, served only to heighten the delicious brilliancy of hers. A veil, of the same substance and colour, was richly embroidered all over with flowers of silver tissue, and fell in flowing drapery well nigh down to her knees. Her hair was almost entirely concealed by this part of her dress, but a single braid of the brightest nut-brown was visible, low down on her polished forehead. Her eyes were as black as jet, and full, as I have already hinted, of a nymph-like or Arcadian vivacity. Altogether, indeed, she was such a creature, as the Tempe of the poets need not have been ashamed to shelter beneath the most luxurious of its bowers.'

The other young lady-it is Athanasia of whom I speak-she was not a dazzling beauty like Sempronia, but beautiful in such a manner as I shall never be able to describe. Taller than her cousin, and darker haired than she, but with eyes rather light than otherwise, of a clear, soft, somewhat melancholy grey, and with a complexion for the most part paler than is usual in Italy, and with a demeanor hovering between cheerfulness and innocent gravity, and attired with a vestal simplicity in the old Roman tunic, and cloak of white cloth, it is possible that most men might have regarded her less than the other; but for my part I found her aspect the more engaging the longer I surveyed it. A single broad star of diamonds, planted high up among her black hair, was the only ornament of jewelry she wore, and it shone there in

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solitary brightness, like the planet of evening. Alas! I smile at myself that I should take notice of such trifles, in describing the first time I ever gazed on Athanasia.

At the request of the younger lady, we all returned to the grotto, in the neighbourhood of which, as I have already mentioned, our tasteful host had planted the rarest of his exotic plants, some of which Sempronia was now desirous of inspecting. As we paced again slowly over those smooth shaven alleys of turf, and between those rows of yew and box, clipped into regular shapes, which abounded in this more artificial region of the place, the conversation, which the appearance of the two beauties had disturbed, was resumed; although, as out of regard to their presence, the voices of the disputants pursued a lower and milder tone than before, a natural mark of respect (by the way) to the gentleness of female spirits, which we must all have remarked on many occasions.' vol. i, pp. 97-101.

After relating this conversation, the author pursues.

There was a certain something, as I thought, more like suppressed melancholy than genuine hilarity, in the expression of the old man's face, as well as in the tone of his voice, while he gave utterance to these sentiments; nor did any of those present appear desirous of protracting the argument; although I did not imagine from their looks that any of them had altered their opinion. What, however, I could not help remarking, in a particular manner, was the gentle regret painted in the beautiful countenance of Athanasia, while her uncle was speaking. The maiden sate over against him all the while, with her cheek supported on her left hand, pale and silent, with an expression of deep affection and tender pity. From time to time, indeed, she cast her eye upward with a calm smile, but immediately resumed her attitude of pensive abstraction. Her uncle took her hand in his, when he had done speaking, and kissed it tenderly, as if to apologize for having said any thing disagreeable to her. She smiled again upon the sceptic, and then rising gracefully, walked by herself (for I could not help following her with my eye) down into a dark walk of pines, that branched off at the right hand from the entrance of the grotto. There I saw her stoop and pluck a beautiful pale flower, streaked all over as with spots of blood. This she placed in her bosom, and then rejoined us with a more cheerful aspect, after which we all walked towards the villa. Nor did it escape my notice, that, although Sempronia appeared willing to avoid Sextus as we went, it always happened by some accident or other, that he was nearer to her than any other person of the company.' vol. i, pp. 106-108.

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