VVEll Dick I am told thou hast been Bred a Scholar, and 'tis like you can tell some Story to divert us, prithee be not sparing of your labour.

withal my heart Tom I will o­blige you, but what kind of Story is it you like.

Nay, you are the best Judge, but if I were to chuse I wou'd have a Roman Story for I have often heard talk of those People.

Well then Tom, He tell you a Sto­ry that seems to run parallel to the Tran­sactions of Forty One. 'Tis about Julius Caezar the first of the Roman Emperor's. who for his Illustrious descent, his ex­traordinary Vertues and personal Courage was the only Person that was capable of putting an end to Consular Government, which after the Expulsion of the Tarquins, had lasted for some hundreds of Years.

But pray why was he call'd Julius.

Because he was lineally descend­ded from Julus the Son of Æneas, that fam'd Trojan, who after the Destruction of Troy sail'd into Italy, and whose poste­rity were the Founders of Rome, he was at first one of the Triumviry, but after the Death of Pompey and Crassus, the Administration of Affairs came into his own hands, and he by an unweary'd appli­cation to business of State so gain'd up­on the Hearts of the People, that he was by Universal consent Proclaim'd Em­peror,

But what is the Difference be­tween King and Emperor.

They are different Names, but the Power in both is the same absolute and unresistable in any Case whatsoever, and to resist, either I hold to be a dam­ning Sin, and there is on every Subject, an indispensible Obligation to obey the [Page]Monarch, whether King or Emperor as supreme Magistrate.

Julius Caezar after his Accession to the Imperial Dignity demean'd himself with all imaginable sweetness and Condescen­tion; he was also a great lover of Learning and those hours he cou'd spare from Pu­blick business he dedicated to Study which was greatly further'd by his happy Genius for he cou'd rise our seand write at the same time; he wrote Commentaries or Me­moirs of his own Life which was truly Heroick, [...]s did our late Gracious but un­happy Sovereign King Charles the first▪ In a Book entuled the Protraiture of the King.

I belive there are other circum­stances of their Lives which agree as well as that one.

Aye, their Lives, agree in the most Fatal circumstances; for it was the Misfortune of both to have to do with the most ungrateful Persons and to be be­tray'd by those in whom they reposed the greatest Trust, they were both Bar­barously Murder'd, one by the hands, the other by the sentence of the Senators.

But what was it excited those Rebels to so inhumane a proceeding.

'Twas either ambition of raising themselves an Affectation of Popularity; or a false notion of liberty, which they Judged inconsistent with Obedience to any one Person.

But who were the Chief Persons concerned in the Murder of Caezar, and wh [...]t Means did they use to effect it.

Brutus and Casius were the head of the Conspiracy, Men by nature cut out for such an Enterprize, the latter be­ing a Crafty, Sly Inv [...]rate Man, the for­mer a Resolute Ambitious and daring one, but what was most remarkable was the Ingratitude of Brutus who had been rais'd by Caezar, to Great and Signal Honour. And was his greatest favourite in so much that he was wont frequently to call him Son in Token of his love? Nevertheless this Man was easily induced to endeavour a change of Government, and brought over to his Interest, many of the greatest Quality in Rome, whom he engaged to help to dispatch Caezar the first oppertu­nity,

Methinks this Man was something like Oliver Cromwell.

their Principles were much the same, and tho' they were both monstrously ungrateful Brutus's Proceedings were much more honourable for he had not the Impudence to Impeach his Sovereign openly, or put him to a for­mal Tryal, but had him dispatch'd not by the Hand of the Common Executioner, but by Men tho' Rebels, nobly born; but after several persons of Note had enter'd into this Conspiracy, the opportunity to execute the design was wanting at length it was agreed, that assoon as Caesar came into the Senat-House they shou'd fall up­on him; He had several warnings of his approaching Fate, for there was a certain Man skill'd in divination who told him the Ides of March wou'd be Fatal to him, and the Night before the Assassinati­on, his Wife Calpburnia dream's that the Palace fell down and crusht him to death in her Arms, and at break of day a Ra­ven was seen to flutter about the Window and make dismal Noise.

That look't indeed as if Heaven was careful for his preservation.

Undoubtedly the Gate of Hea­ven is concern'd in preservation of the life of every Man, but more particularly in defending the Sacred person of a King, who is the Vice-gerent of God Almighty on Earth: But besides the entreaties of [Page]his Wife to put off the Meeting till ano­ther day, he found in himself a backward­ness to go, and pretended an indisposition, but the Conspirators being all Assembled, sent several Messengers to tell him the House was full, and that they impatient­ly expected his coming, upon which he went; and in his way thither, met the Man who told him the Ides of March wou'd be Fatal to him, to whom he smilling Cry'd, well you see the Ides of March are come. Ay! But replyed the o­ther, they are not past yet, and when he had gone a little further, there was a Let­ter delivered him by an Unknown Ha [...] and the Messenger desired him to Read it, saying 'twas matter of great concern, for it contained an Account of the Conspira­cy, but he believing it to be a Letter of Request, put it among other Papers, and went directly to the Senate-House, where the Rebels fell upon him, he for sometime withstood the fury of them all, but seeing Brutus strike at him, he ceased to defend himself, and mildly reproached him in these words, and you too my Son, as if he had said, I neither deserved nor expected this at your Hands, there fell the Valient Caesar after he had received above twenty Wounds.

But what became of Brutus after, for I long to hear whether he suffered de­served Punishment. I hope he did not Escape hanging till after he was Dead as our Oliver did.

After the death of Caesar, Mark An­thony made a Funeral Oration to t [...]e peo­ple, in which he mentioned several Glo­rious Acts of Caesar, and in the Middle of his Speech, lifted a Cloath which covered the Body▪ and shew'd his wounds all Bloody. which so enrag'd the People, that they lighted Torches and ran about the Ci [...]y with a design to destroy the Con­spirators, and burn their Houses. In this Hurry Brutus and Cassius made their E­scape, and having gathered an Army of Rebels they prepared to defend themselves, but were overthrown by Octavius and Mark Anthony at Philippi, where after their defeat Cassius despairing, and opprest by his Melancholly Temper, kill'd him­self, of which when Brutus heard he wise­ly followed his example. At length Civil Wars being over, Augustus who was Ne­phew to Julius Caesar was Proclaimed Emperor, who was not Inferior to his predecessor in any vertue, but was much more Fortunate, and under whom the Romans enjoy'd a long and happy Peace.

I think that is not unlike the Restoration of our late Gracious So­vereign King Charles the II: and you know his was a peaceable Reign.

Why Tom thou hast a good fan­cy, and 'tis Pitty thou wert a Scholar.

I wish I were innocent, but 'tis too late to begin to learn, but I fear Dick there are Persons of Disti [...]ion among us who wou'd play the part of Brutus or Cromwel if they had the Opportunity.

Very Probable Tom, but I am sure, that they who have the Power at present, have not the will, and they that have the will, may they never have the Power.