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vious to this, placed his affection on Hypatia, a lady of exquifite beauty. 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.

Alcander's exultation in his own happiness, or being unable to enjoy any fatisfaction without making his friend Septimius a partner, prevailed upon him to introduce Hypatia to his fellow ftudent; which he did, with all the gaiety of a man who found himself equally happy in friendship and in love. But this was an interview fatal to the future peace of both; for Septimius no fooner faw her, but he was fmitten with an involuntary paffion; and though he used every effort to suppress defires at once fo imprudent and fo unjust, the emotions of his mind in a fhort time became fo ftrong, that they brought on a fever, which the phyficians judged incurable.

During this illnefs, Alcander watched him with all the anxiety of fondnefs, and brought his mistress to join in thofe amiable offices of friendship. The fagacity of the phyficians, by thefe means, foon difcovered that the cause of their patient's diforder was love; and Alcander being apprifed of their difcovery, at length extorted a confeffion from the reluctant dying lover.

It would but delay the narrative to defcribe the conflict between love and friendship in the breast of Alcander on this occafion; it is enough to fay, that the Athenians were at that time arrived at 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 which he was fo eminently poffeffed

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poffeffed of, Septimius, in a few years, arrived at the higheft dignities of the state, and was conftituted the city judge, or prætor.

In the mean time Alcander not only felt the pain of being separated from his friend and his miftrefs, but a profecution was also commenced against him by the relations of Hypatia, for having bafely given up his bride, as was fuggefted, for money. His innocence of the crime laid to his charge, and even his eloquence in his own defence, were not able to withstand the influence of a powerful party. He was caft, and condemned to pay an enormous fine. However, being unable to raise fo large a fum at the time appointed, his poffeffions were confifcated, he himself was ftripped of the habit of freedom, expofed as a flave in the marketplace, and fold to the highest bidder.

A merchant of Thrace becoming his purchaser, Alcander, with fome other companions in diftrefs, was carried into that region of defolation and fterility. His ftated employment was to follow the herds of an imperious mafter, and his fuccefs in hunting was all that was allowed him to supply his precarious fubfistence. Every morning waked him to a renewal of famine or toil, and every change of season served but to aggravate his unfheltered diftrefs. After fome years of bondage, however, an opportunity of escaping offered; he embraced it with ardour; fo that, travelling by night, and lodging in caverns by day, to fhorten a long ftory, he at laft arrived in Rome. The fame day on which Alcander arrived, Septimius fat administering justice in the Forum, whither our wanderer came, expecting to be instantly known, and publicly acknowledged, by his former friend. Here he stood the whole day amongst the crowd, watching the eyes of the judge, and expecting to be taken notice of; but he was fo much altered by a long fucceffion of hardships, that he continued unnoticed amongst the rest; and, in the evening, when he was going up to the prætor's chair, he was brutally repulfed by the attending lictors. The attention of

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the poor is generally driven from one ungrateful object to another; for night coming on, he now found himfelf under the neceflity 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 ftreets 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, and despair. In this mansion of horror, laying his head upon an inverted urn, he forgot his miferies for a while in fleep; and found, on his flinty couch, more eafe than beds of down can fupply to the guilty.

As he continued here, about midnight, two robbers came to make this their retreat; but happening to difagree about the divifion of their plunder, one of them ftabbed the other to the heart, and left him weltering in blood at the entrance. In these circumftances he was found next morning dead at the mouth of the vault. This naturally inducing a farther inquiry, an alarm was fpread; the cave was examined; and Alcander was 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 last became regardless of life. He detefted a world where he had found only ingratitude, falsehood, and cruelty; he was determined to make no defence; and, thus lowering with refolution, he was dragged, bound with cords, before the tribunal of Septimius. As the proofs were pofitive against him, and he offered nothing in his own vindication, the judge was proceeding to doom him to a moft cruel and ignominious death, when the attention of the multitude was soon divided by another object. The robber, who had been really guilty, was apprehended felling his plunder, and, ftruck with a panic, had confeffed his crime. He was brought bound to the fame tribunal, and acquitted every other person of any partnership in his guilt. Al

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cander's innocence therefore appeared; but the fullen rafhnefs of his conduct remained a wonder to the furrounding multitude; but their aftonishment was still farther encreased when they faw the judge ftart from his tribunal to embrace the fuppofed criminal: Septimius recollected his friend and former benefactor, and hung upon his neck with tears of pity and of joy. Need the fequel be related? Alcander was acquitted; fhared the friendship and honours of the principal citizens of Rome; lived afterwards in happiness and ease; and left it to be engraven on his tomb, That no circumAtances are fo defperate which Providence may not relieve.

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The Acquisition of a Virtuous Disposition a necessary Part of Education.

WHEN you look forward to those plans of life,

which either your circumstances have fuggefted, or your friends have proposed, you will not hefitate to acknowledge, that in order to purfue them with advantage, fome previous difcipline is requifite. Be affured, that whatever is to be your profeffion, no education is more neceffary to your fuccefs than the acquirement of virtuous difpofitions and habits. This is the univerfal preparation for every character, and every station of life. Bad as the world is, refpect is always paid to virtue. In the ufual course of human affairs it will be found, that a plain understanding, joined with acknowledged worth, contributes more to profperity than the brightest parts without probity or honour. Whether science, or bufinefs, or public life, be your aim, virtue ftill enters for a principal share into all those great departments of fociety. It is connected with eminence, in every liberal art; with reputation, in every branch of fair and useful bufinefs; with diftinction, in every public ftation. The vigour which it gives the mind, and the weight which it adds to character; the generous fentiments which it breathes, the undaunted fpirit which it inspires, the ardour of diligence which it quickens, the freedom which it procures from pernicious and dishonourable avocations, are the foundations of all that is high in fame, or great in fuccefs, among men. Whatever ornamental or engaging endowments you may poffefs, virtue is a neceffary requifite, in order to their fhining with proper luftre. Feeble are the attractions of the fairest form, if it be fufpected that nothing within correfponds to the pleafing appearance without

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