88 ESS4T upon the PR INCIPL E S 



plains of the hardnefs of his fate, he conjures the friends who 

 flood around him to avenge his injuries. " Non hoc prseci- 

 " puum amicorum munus eft, profequi defunctum ignavo 

 " queflu ; fed quae voluerit meminifTe, quas mandaverit exfe- 

 " qui. Flebunt GERMANICUM etiam ignoti : vindicabitis vos, 

 " fi me potius quam fortunam meam fovebatis. Oftendite po- 

 " pulo Romano Divi AUGUSTI neptem, eandemque conjugem 

 ' meam : numerate fex liberos. Mifericordia cum accufanti- 

 " bus erit: Fingentibufque fcelefta mandata, aut non credent 

 ' homines, aut non ignofcent." 



OUR author's defcription is not lefs delicate in the cafe of 

 AGRIPPINA going on board a fhip for Rome, furrounded with 

 her children, and carrying the afhes of her hufband. The fight 

 of this feems to have affected the Spectators deeply, and the de- 

 fcription is not lefs moving than the fpectacle. ; Miferan- 

 " tibus cunctis quod femina nobilitate princeps pulcherrimo 

 " modo matrimonio inter venerantis gratantifque afpici folita, 

 " tune feralis reliquias finu ferret, incerta uhionis, anxia fui 

 " et infelici fecunditate fortunse toties obnoxia." This laft cir- 

 cumftance is very happily laidliold of. The number of AGRIP- 

 PINA'S children, which was once a blefling, had now become 

 a curfe. It only enlarged the mark at which the father of her 

 hufband was to direct his malice. 



UPON her approach to the coaft of Italy, another fcene pre- 

 fents itfelf, equally affecting, from the unfeigned fympathy 

 of the fpectators, and the deep grief of AGRIPPINA herfelf. 

 " Atque ubi primum ex alto vifa clams, complentur non mo- 

 *' do portus et proxima maris, fed mcenia, ac tecta, quaque 

 " longiffime profpectari poterat, mcerentium turba, et rogitan- 

 tium inter fe, " Silentione an voce aliqua egredientem exci- 

 perent." Neque fatis conftabat quid pro tempore foret : Cum 

 clams paulatim fucceflit, non alacri ut adfolet remigio ; fed 

 cunctis ad triftitiam compofids. Poftquam duobus cum li- 

 beris feralem urnam tenens egrefTa navi, defixit oculos ; idem 



" omnium 



' 



