vertue; but CESAR'S was above all fuch narrow rules, like the genius of HOMER in poetry, or of APELLES in painting; and could never have foar'd fo high, or made fuch lasting flights, without refting it felf sometimes on thefe lower delights of the fenfes. Yet methinks a nobleness of nature appear'd in his very pleasures, and his ambition of conquest began with the wives of CRASSUS and POMPEY, the two greatest men in the world at that time; who, notwithstanding their jealoufy, were fo charm'd by his conversation, that they rais'd him between them to be as confiderable as themselves; one by his wealth, the other by his reputation: SERVILIA too muft needs have been the wonder of her age; for what lefs can we imagine of a woman who was fifter of CATO, mother of BRUTUS, and the beloved mistress of JULIUS CÆSAR? Yet all this wandring abroad, did not make him infenfible at home; for on that discovery of CLODIUS, he both faid and did the reasonableft thing in the world: he chose rather to part with his wife, than to keep with her a perpetual anxiety of mind; and only gave this reasonable account of it, that he could not doubt the vertue of his wife, but much lefs bear the world's having the 0 the least suspicion of it. I was unwilling to mention, among other failings, his extravagant fondness of CLEOPATRA (if fondness of the finest woman in nature may be call'd extravagant) because it had like to have coft him both life and reputation, and therefore not to be defended. But fince his whole carriage in Egypt appears the greatest and almost only error of his whole life; 'tis no little excufe for him, that Love was the only occafion of it. Love, that refiftless Paffion! which has forc'd DAVID to contrive a murder, SOLOMON to commit idolatry, and all mankink to play the fool at one time or other. BUT we have been too long intent on his pleasures, as indeed he himself was, and fufficiently fenfible of it, when a flatue of ALEXANDER made him weep; to think a nother man fhould have almoft conquer'd the world at an age when he had scarce appear'd in it. The truth is, he was involv'd a-while in debauches, like a fierce Lion in a toil, which his ftrength of mind broke through on the firft occafion that was of fer'd him by the several factions at that time. But I do not mean to write his Life, which has been done fo often and fo well already; VOL. II. N but but only to make fome fhort reflections on it, as my memory fhall ferve me; which can hardly fail of fpringing fome game in fuch an ample field of fame and glory. First, The confpiracy of CATILINE prefents us with afull view of CESAR, who was fo violently fufpected to make one in it, that CATO would needs have a Letter open'd publickly in the Senate-house, only because it was directed to him: In this furprize he acted with as much prudence, as all the time and advice in the world could have furnish'd him with. For it happening to be a Love-letter from his dear SERVILIA, and therefore not to be expos'd thus before a company of morofe Senators, who by this accident (one would imagine) muft neceffarily find caufe to cenfure either him, or her, or both, according to his concealing, or expofing the Letter: Yet CÆSAR in an instant not only overcame all this difficulty, but reveng❜d himself on CATO fufficiently, for bringing him into the danger; who, tho' long before acquainted with his fifter's intrigue, was quickly in more confufion than CESAR, when he threw him the Letter, and bid him read it publickly, if he durft. Сато CATO purfu'd him ftill, making a most violent speech against the confpirators: But CÆSAR, tho' privately one of them, and fufficiently fufpected, yet openly and eloquently defended the reft, as if they had been only his clients, and not his partners; and by that firmness of mind fav'd himself from the violence of CATO, and the wiles of CICERO, both join'd together to procure his ruine. Yet he was in a manner but an Apprentice in that confpiracy of CATILINE; and fhew'd them foon after how much abler he could be than all his mafters, when once he began to fet up for himself; tho' with a nobler design, and in a more generous way; not to ruine and pillage fuch a goodly Empire, but improve it in all things, as his more happy fucceffors liv'd long enough to accomplish. But 'tis high time for us to behold him in the field, where I know the reader expects him with impatience, because that indeed was his proper sphere; and never man had fuch talents for it. His body, notwithstanding the falling fickness, was ftrong and active to a wonder, fit for all the exercise and fatigues of war; yet unwieldly and fluggish, in comparison of his mind, which was rather what |