In this city, and about this period, Alcander and Septimius were fellow ftudents together. The one the moft fubtle reafoner of all the Lyceum; the other the most eloquent fpeaker in the academic grove. Mutual admiration foon begot an acquaintance, and a fimilitude of difpofition made them perfect friends. Their fortunes were nearly equal, their studies the fame, and they were natives of the two moft celebrated cities in the world; for Alcander was of Athens, Septimius came from Rome.

In this mutual harmony they lived for fome time together, when Alcander, after paffing the first part of his youth in the indolence of philofophy, thought at length of entering into the bufy world, and as a step previous to this, placed his affections on Hypatia, a lady of exquifite beauty. Hypatia fhewed no diflike to his addreffes. The day of their intended nuptials was fixed, the previous ceremonies were performed, and nothing now remained but her being conducted in triumph to the apartment of the intended bridegroom.

An exultation in his own happiness, or his being unable to enjoy any fatisfaction without making his friend Septimius a partner, prevailed upon him to introduce his miftrefs to his fellow ftudent, which he did with all the gaiety of a man who found himfelf equally happy in friendship and love. But this was an interview fatal to the peace of both. Septimius no fooner faw her, but he was fmit with an involuntary paffion. He used every effort, but in vain, to suppress defires at once fo imprudent and unjuft. He retired to his apartment in inexpreffible agony; and the emotions of his mind in a fhort time became fo ftrong, that they brought on a fever, which the physicians judged incurable,

During this illness Alcander watched him with all the anxiety of fondness, and brought his miftrefs

to join in those amiable offices of friendfhip. The fagacity of the phyficians, by this means, foon difcovered the cause of their patient's diforder; and Alcander, being apprized of their discovery, at length extorted a confeffion from the reluctant dying lover.

It would but delay the narrative to describe the conflict between love and friendship in the breaft of Alcander on this occafion; it is enough to fay, that the Athenians were at this time arrived to fuch refinement in morals, that every virtue was carried to excefs. In fhort, forgetful of his own felicity, he gave up his intended bride, in all her charms, to the young Roman. They were married privately by his connivance; and this unlooked-for change of fortune wrought as unexpected a change in the conftitution of the now happy Septimius. In a few days he was perfectly recovered, and fet out with his fair partner for Rome. Here, by an exertion of those talents of which he was fo eminently poffeffed, he in a few years arrived at the highest dignities of the state, and was conftituted the city judge, or prætor.

Mean while Alcander not only felt the pain of being separated from his friend and miftrefs, but a profecution was also commenced against him by the relations of Hypatia, for his having bafely given her up, as was fuggefted, for money. Neither his innocence

of the crime laid to his charge, nor his eloquence in his own defence was able to withstand the influ ence of a powerful party.

He was caft and condemned to pay an enormous fine. Unable to raise fo large a fum at the time appointed, his poffeffions were confifcated, himself ftript of the habit of freedom, expofed in the market-place, and fold as flave to the highest bidder,

A merchant of Thrace becoming his purchafer, Alcander, with fome other companions of diftrefs, was carried into the region of defolation and fterility.

His stated employment was to follow the herds of an imperious mafter, and his fkill in hunting was all that was allowed him to fupply a precarious fubfiftence. Condemned to hopeless fervitude, every morning waked him to renewal of famine or toil, and every change of feafon ferved but to aggravate his unfheltered diftrefs. Nothing but death or flight was left him, and almost certain death was the confequence of his attempting to fly. After fome years of bondage, however, an opportunity of escaping offered; he embraced it with ardour, and travelling by night, and lodging in caverns by day, to fhorten a long ftory, he at laft arrived in Rome. The day of Alcander's arrival, Septimius fat in the forum adminiftering justice; and hither our wanderer came, expecting to be inftantly known, and publickly acknowledged. Here he ftood the whole day among the crowd, watching the eyes of the judge, and expecting to be taken notice of, but fo much was he altered by a long fucceffion of hardfhips, that he paffed entirely without notice; and in the evning, when he was going up to the prætor's chair, he was brutally repulfed by the attending lictors. The attention of the poor is generally driven from one ungrateful object to another. Night coming on, he now found himself under a neceffity of feeking a place to lie in, and yet knew not where to apply. All emaciated and in rags as he was, none of the citizens would harbour fo much wretchednefs, and fleeping in the streets might be attended with interruption or danger in fhort, he was obliged to take up his lodging in one of the tombs without the city, the ufual retreat of guilt, poverty, or defpair.

In this manfion of horror, laying his head upon an inverted urn, he forgot his miferies for a while in fleep; and virtue found on this flinty couch more cafe than down can fupply to the guilty.

It was midnight, when two robbers came to make this cave their retreat, but happening to disagree about the divifion of their plunder, one of them stabbed the other to the heart, and left him weltering in blood at the entrance. In these circumftances he was found next morning, and this naturally induced a further enquiry. The alarm was fpread, the cave was examined, Alcander was found fleeping, and immediately apprehended and accused of robbery and murder. The circumftances against him were ftrong, and the wretchedness of his appearance confirmed fufpicion. Misfortune and he were now fo long acquainted, that he at laft became regardless of life. He detefted a world where he had found only ingratitude, falfhood and cruelty, and was determined to make no defence. Thus lowering with resolution, he was dragged, bound with cords, before the tribunal of Septimius. The proofs were pofitive against him, and he offered nothing in his own vindication; the judge, therefore, was proceeding to doom him to a moft cruel and ignominious death, when, as if illumined by a ray from heaven, he discovered, through all his mifery, the features, though dim with forrow, of his long loft, lov'd Alcander. It is impoffible to defcribe his joy and his pain on this ftrange occafion; happy in once more feeing the perfon he moft loved on earth, diftreffed at finding him in fuch circumftances. Thus agitated by contending paffions, he flew from his tribunal, and falling on the neck of his dear benefactor, burft into an agony of diftrefs. The attention of the multitude. was foon, however, divided by another object. The robber, who had been really guilty, was apprehended felling his plunder, and, ftruck with a panic, confeffed his crime. He was brought bound to the fame tribunal, and acquitted every other perfon of any partnership in his guilt. Need the fequel be related?

Alcander

Alcander was acquitted, fhared the friendship and the honours of his friend Septimius, lived afterwards in happiness and eafe, and left it to be engraved on his tomb, "That no circumftances are fo defperate, which Providence may not relieve."

A LETTER FROM A TRAVELLER.

My dear WILL,

Cracow, Aug. 2, 1758.

YOU fee by the date of my letter that I am arrived in Poland. When will my wanderings be at an end? When will my reftlefs difpofition give me leave to enjoy the prefent hour? When at Lyons, I thought all happiness lay beyond the Alps; when in Italy, I found myself ftill in want of fomething, and expected to leave folicitude behind me by going into Romelia, and now you find me turning back, ftill expecting ease every where, but where I am. It is now seven years fince I faw the face of a fingle creature who cared a farthing whether I was dead or alive. Secluded from all the comforts of confidence, friendfhip, or fociety, I feel the folitude of an hermit, but not his ease.

The prince of *** has taken me in his train, fo that I am in no danger of ftarving for this bout. The prince's governor is a 1ude ignorant pedant, and his tutor a battered rake: thus, between two fuch characters, you may imagine he is finely inftructed. I made fome attempts to difplay all the little knowledge I had acquired by reading or observation; but I find myself regarded as an ignorant intruder. The truth is, I fhall never be able to acquire a power of expreffing