her Husband's departed Spirit,-but Death was to be the Priest,-her Country the Altar,-and her own Life the Offering!

With this resolution she commanded a funeral pyre to be erected as for a sacrifice: she then gathered the Ministers of State and her People around her; and attired in her robes of Royalty, she ascended the newlyerected Altar of her Nation's freedom! The surrounding multitude, unconscious of her motives, listened with breathless attention to her fervent and patriotic eloquence: she urged them to perpetuate her laws,— to renew their energies for peace or war;-upon her death to place the reins of government in the firm grasp of wise men only, whether they now wielded a priestly sceptre or a peasant's distaff;-as she had no child, the offspring of her brain they must receive as her successor! To these points of National glory she demanded their oath. The vast assembly, gazing from their elevated Queen to the azure Dome,-and, with one voice, called Apollo, and all his host, to bear witness, and accept their united and sacred Oath;-while Echo caught the sound, and bore it even to the surrounding shores and walls of Carthage, and the People's eyes were raised to Heaven,—the Queen,-sudden as the flash,stabbed herself to the heart! The high-reared Altar became the funeral pyre of surrounding danger and desolation, for her heroic sacrifice appeased the claims of the warlike king.

This act of the Queen of Carthage would be viewed in modern days as madness; but to estimate it cor

rectly, the mind must retire into the Temples of antiquity, when self-immolation was regarded as the highest test of pure and disinterested virtue! As without a similitude, there can be no comparison, either of Institutions or Nations,-therefore we can only contrast our own with ancient days. This difference in language the mere instrument of truth properly applied-has been the cause of great injustice to events and personages of antiquity. We have no just right to compare ourselves with the ancients, or to measure their morals or virtues by the standard of our own supposed perfections; and our posterity would be equally as unjust to themselves as to us, were they, twenty centuries hence, to record our actions and institutions by their then received ideas of increased and (truly so) advanced civilization. To be just, they will in mercy to the faults and sins of their ancestors (i. e. ourselves) contrast, not compare us.

The suicide or rather in ancient phrase-self-immolation of the Queen, was then regarded as the highest virtue; and Cato, the Man of Rome, in after ages (and at the same Utica where the Princess first landed), but imitated the act of Woman at Carthage. A comparison between these two acts can be instituted, because, at the time of their being committed, the ancient world regarded them both in similitude of virtue. The same as the suicidal deaths of the Patriots-Brutus and Cassius,-after the fall of Freedom at Philippi.

The Queen of Carthage, and Cato of Utica, both

died by their own hands, in full possession of their minds and faculties,-both sacrifices to the highest principles of national virtue; but how much nobler was the Queen's than the Senator's! The former, by her death, saved her People-the latter died uselessly, and his sword pierced other bosoms than his own. Cato ceased to live, because he would not survive the downfall of his country; but by his death did he save his native land, or even wrench a link asunder from the enslaving chain of Tyranny? No! but had he lived and returned to Rome upon Cæsar's invitation, he might he must-have rendered service to his groaning country, and by his high character and talents have saved her from suffering,-but by his falsely conceived destruction, they were both lost to Rome and to posterity!

The Queen, on the contrary, by her death, rescued her young nation from a war of slavery-gave it additional power by her farewell wisdom, pronounced from the Altar destined to receive her ashes,-bound her tried and faithful Tyrians to elect their Rulers from the scrolls of Intellect only,—the fulness of patriotism was accomplished,—and as the steel pierced her heart, Nature never received a last sigh from a nobler victim! Honoured in life, she was idolized in death, her last words were as from her tomb, and consequently upon the fall of the Queen, ceased the Kingdom of Carthage; but from those Royal ashes arose, with Phonix power, the Tyrian and giant Republic, which, in after ages, sent its victorious army across the Seas and snow-crowned Alps, even to the Gates of Rome!

The Queen of Carthage died for her People-the over-applauded Cato for himself alone; the former cast her far-reaching gaze along the deep vista of posterity; the latter only looked within the narrow circle of his own death-chamber. The former died to embrace the Public good-the latter to avoid a selfish evil! Mankind have applauded man, because, in so doing, they praise themselves. Thence Cato's immolation has received undying praise from the pens of Poets and Historians; and even the Tragic Toga has moved in mimic life to infold his death amid Man's applause; but Woman, when she is heroic as the Queen of Car. thage, she falls from man's envy, upon her own Altar, never to rise again; or, if she does, it is only to falsely move through the brain of a sycophantic Virgil; or, for her true death to be given to adorn the final fate of the Foundling youth of Argos, who, as IoN, is to be shrouded in a Grecian mantle, and for that people, and not the Tyrian, received the wild applause of an enraptured audience!

Woman does not ask Man to be generous, but to be just, the latter will secure the former.

Every good or brave deed traced by the pen of History, should be for the purpose of Justice to the original party, and for the effect of virtuous example to posterity. Thence the self-sacrifice of the Queen of Carthage was not without its effect (in the same land) upon the mind of Cato, who, though he but imitated the Tyrian Elizabeth, and failed to reach her high motive, still her example inspired him, and secured his fame!

In like manner the glorious heroism of the first British Queen, - Boadicea, when she opposed at Battle-bridge the Roman army under Paulianus, was not without its effect upon England's Elizabeth, when she addressed her assembled knights upon the threatened Invasion from the then haughty Spain. Elizabeth but imitated Boadicea: but in our own time it has been the peculiar felicity of England to witness an original act of heroism, by the present and beloved British Queen for when Regicide, like a wild demon, stalked abroad unsecured, and when the Sovereign was within the arena of assassination, then it was she threw aside the mantle of her own protection, to shelter those faithful and dear to her; and to enjoy that personal freedom, of which as Sovereign she is the chief champion,- and companioned by her Royal and noble Consort alone,-unguarded, except by her GOD and People, she braved the demon efforts of the assassin! The Almighty in His mercy cast His mantle over both! This noble act, this self-sacrifice of Queen Victoria to the interest and dignity of her Nation, will live on to all ages, as a patriotic example to all Sovereigns and Rulers; and for its true Courage and Patriotism,—Religious dependence, pure Heroism, and her royal Mercy to the convicted regicide,-will bear a triumphant comparison with any renowned record in the Annals of Antiquity!