HORATIO SPARKINS. 151 



The conspiracy of Brutus was rashly undertaken : he was a man 

 of feeble means. The commonwealth was not restored ; the murder 

 of " a mild and generous usurper produced a series of civil wars,, and 

 the reign of three tyrants, whose union and whose discord were alike 

 fatal to the Roman people."* When Cicero laments to Atticus-j- the 

 state of Rome, he vividly, yet briefly,, gives the history of its dis- 

 traction and its crimes. 



The tragical catastrophe of Caesar involved Calpurnia in profound 

 and lasting grief. She is said to have pronounced a funeral eulogium 

 on her husband, and to have excited universal tears and admiration 

 by her pathetic eloquence. She afterwards indulged her sorrow in 

 retirement, in the house of Mark Antony, to whom she gave all 

 Caesar's papers, and the treasures she posssessed, with which to prose- 

 cute the chiefs of the conspiracy. Her life was an unbroken course 

 of virtue : she was generous, modest, pious, and magnanimous j and 

 her example was worthily transmitted to posterity as the noblest 

 illustration of a Roman matron. 



HORATIO SPARKINS. 



" INDEED, my love, he paid Teresa very great attention on the last 

 assembly night," said Mrs. Malderton, addressing her spouse, who, 

 after the fatigues of the day in the City, was sitting with a silk hand- 

 kerchief over his head, and his feet on the fender, drinking his port ; 

 " very great attention ; and, I say again, every possible encourage- 

 ment ought to be given him. He positively must be asked down 

 here to dine." 



" Who must ?" inquired Mr. Malderton. 



fi Why, you know who I mean, my dear the young man with the 

 black whiskers and the white cravat, who has just come out at our 



assembly, and whom all the girls are talking about. Young 



dear me, what's his name ? Marianne, Avhat is his name ?" continued 

 Mrs. Malderton, addressing her youngest daughter, who was engaged 

 in netting a purse, and endeavouring to look sentimental. 



tf Mr. Horatio Sparkins, ma," replied Miss Marianne, with a Juliet- 

 like sigh. 



" Oh ! yes, to be sure Horatio Sparkins," said Mrs. Malderton. 

 " Decidedly the most gentleman-like young man I ever saw. I am 



verity of the dictator. " Nee ulli periisse, nisi in prselio reperiuntur, exceptis 

 duntaxat Afranio, et Fausto et Lucio Csesare juvene ; ac ne has quidem volun- 

 tate ipsius interemtos putant ; quorum tamen elpriores post impertratam veniam 

 rebellaverant : ***** denique, tempore extremo etiam quibus nondum igno- 

 verat, cunctis in Italiam redire permisit, magistratus que et imperia capere. 

 Sed et statuas L. Syllse atque Pompeii, aplebe disjectas, reposuit." Sueton. in 

 Jul. Ccesare. 

 * Gibbon. 



^ "t O dii boni ! vivit tyrannis, tyrannus occidit ? ejus interfecti morte laetamur, 

 ejus facta defendimus ? * * mori millies prsestitit quam haec pati, quae mihi vi- 

 dentur habitura etiam vetustatem. Cic. Attic. Epl. 1. 14. 9. 



