96 ESSAY upon the PRINCIPLES 



*' tium oculos majore mifericordia affecit. Meminerant adhuc 

 " quidam AGRIPPIN^E, a TIBERIO, recentior JULI^; memoria 

 " obverfabatur, a CLAUDIO pulfae. Sed illis robur astatis af- 

 " fuerat. Laeta aliqua viderant, et praefentem faevitiam me- 

 " lioris olim fortunae recordatione allevabant. Huic primus 

 *' nuptiarum dies loco funeris fuit, dedxiclae in domum, in qua 

 ** nihil nifi lucluofum haberet, erepto per venenum patre, et 

 " ilatim fratre. Turn ancilla domina validior. Et POPPJEA 

 " non nifi in perniciem uxoris nupta. Poftremo crimen omni 

 " exitio gravivis *." 



THIS defcription is as artful in facl, as it is artlefs in appear- 

 ance. The circumftances faid to move the companion of the 

 fpeclators, are marked with wonderful judgment ; and the 

 beautiful climax exhibited in the arrangement of them, pro- 

 duces a very uncommon effecl. Their feelings firft reft upon 

 the difference between the fituation of OCTAVIA, and that of 

 other women of diftinclion who had been fubjecled to the like 

 fate. They next reft upon her perfonal difgrace, as an emprefs, 

 becoming fubjecl; to a fervant ; next upon the immediate de- 

 fbruclion threatened her by this marriage of POPPJEA ; and laft 

 of all, upon the falfe accufation of having been unfaithful to 

 her hufband, and guilty with a mifcreant, which no form of 

 deftruclion could equal. The conditions upon which the fancy 

 operates fuccefsfully are here fulfilled. It has full room to 

 work, and its exertions are not clogged by an unmeaning ver- 

 bofenefs. 



FROM fulfilling the conditions now mentioned, THUCYDIDES 

 has acquired immortal honour by his defcription of the retreat 

 of the Athenian army, in the yth book of his Hiftory. The 

 barbarity of the conquerors and the diftrefs of the vanqxuihed 

 appear equally incredible, though a few circumftances only 

 are employed to fuggeft thefe. During the paffage of the 

 Athenians over the river Affinarus, from the extremity of fa- 

 tigue 



* Ann. 1. 14. c. 63. 



