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that Octavius would carry her to Rome and exhibit her in triumph. She sent for him, hoping to win his favour, and gave him a list of her treasures. One of her servants hinted that the list was not correct, upon which Cleopatra fell into a violent passion, started up and seized him by the hair, and gave him several blows on the face; and at the same time told Octavius that, if she had kept back anything, it was only in order to make a present of it to his wife, Livia, and his sister, Octavia. Octavius, however, was not to be won over by any flattery. He treated her very politely, but kept his own purpose, and she soon learnt that he was bent upon carrying her to Rome, as she had feared. Cleopatra then resolved to die. She begged permission to visit the tomb of Antony, and the request being granted, she went thither with two of her attendants, Charmian and Iras, weeping most bitterly, and declaring her full intention not to survive him longer. After placing flowers upon the tomb, she went back to the tower, dressed herself splendidly, and partook of a rich banquet. In the midst of it a slave brought her a basket of figs, which she took and carried with her to her chamber, where she wrote a note and sent it to Octavius.

Shortly afterwards an officer arrived from Octavius. The first thing he saw when he entered the room, was Cleopatra, dressed in her royal robes, stretched lifeless upon a golden couch. She had killed herself by means of an asp, a kind of serpent, which was brought to her in the basket of figs, and the sting of which was deadly. Iras was lying dead at the feet of her mistress; and Charmian, scarcely alive, was placing a crown upon her head. "Was this well done, Charmian ?" inquired the messenger of Octavius. "Yes," re

plied Charmian; "it is well done, for such a death befits a glorious queen."

B.C. 27.

CHAPTER XLVII.

AUGUSTUS CÆSAR,

FIRST EMPEROR OF ROME, B. C. 27.

THE history of the Republic of Rome ends with the death of Antony. From that time the Romans were governed by emperors, the first of whom was Octavius, or Augustus, as he was called by the senate on his return from Egypt. This power, however, he only accepted by degrees; at first it was given him for ten years, then five more were added, and so on, till at length he became emperor for life, and was allowed to leave the title to his successor. This was done with the full consent of all persons of sense and thought, for they were weary of the perpetual wars which had been going on for so many years, and saw that the people had become so turbulent and the nobles so luxurious, that their only hope of quietness was in giving all the authority to one person. Every possible honour therefore, was paid to Augustus; three splendid triumphs were allowed him, and one of the months of the year, August, was called after his name. Yet, if the persons who rejoiced when Augustus Cæsar became emperor of Rome could have looked into future years, and known who were to succeed him on his throne, they would have felt very differently. Many of the Roman emperors were the greatest monsters of wickedness that were ever heard of; others, who were less wicked, were weak and silly, and brought

great miseries upon their country; and the few who really tried to do right were placed in such difficulty from the crimes, and mistakes, and bad examples of the emperors who reigned before them, that they could do very little to serve their country.

The really important events of these times belong to a very different history-the history of the Christian Church. It was in the reign of Augustus Cæsar that our Blessed Saviour was born.

When we are writing and thinking of common things and merely human actions, it seems scarcely reverent to dwell much upon such a sacred subject; but it might perhaps be well for us to bring before our minds, for a few moments, the facts which actually took place at this time: to imagine the haughty, ambitious monarch-who had suffered hundreds of his fellow citizens to be murdered in cold blood, and had sacrificed thousands and thousands in his selfish wars-seated upon a splendid throne, flattered by all who approached him, and obeyed almost by the whole known world: whilst He who created the heavens and the earth condescended to be laid in a manger at Bethlehem. These are very wonderful things to think of; and the history of Rome must always be most interesting and important, because it is so mixed up with the history of our Blessed Lord and of His Church.

But we must return to the account of what happened at Rome after Augustus Cæsar became emperor. From this time the character of Augustus seems to have changed: he was merciful and forgiving, instead of cruel and revengeful, and appeared to give all his thoughts to the improvement of the laws, the erection of splendid buildings, and the encouragement of clever men. The

Augustan Age, as it is called, has been celebrated ever since as a time when learning, and poetry, and accomplishments, were especially valued. Augustus had a great friend named Mæcenas, who was the patron of all the men of talent in Italy. He was an indolent person, fond of eating and drinking; but taking a great deal of pleasure in all things which were splendid and elegant and if persons were really clever, however humble they might be by birth, they were sure to receive help from Mæcenas. Virgil, Horace, and Ovid, were the most famous poets of the age. Cornelius Nepos wrote biographies, or accounts of the lives of different persons: and Livy was a distinguished historian.

But although Augustus thus employed himself for the good of his people, his reign was not entirely peaceful. There were several conspiracies formed against him: and he was obliged to carry on wars in Spain, Africa, Arabia, Egypt, Gaul, and Germany. The conspiracies were all discovered, and the leaders sentenced to death. In the wars, he and his generals were for the most part victorious; but on one occasion, when there was an insurrection in Germany, the Roman general, Varus, was completely defeated, and his soldiers were cut to pieces. Augustus was so grieved when he heard it, that he was often heard to cry out afterwards, "Varus, Varus, give me back my legions!" Some historians have even said that he never recovered his former quietness of mind.

But, in his latter days, Augustus had causes for sorrow which were more likely to make him miserable than even the loss of an army. He was very unhappy in his own family. He had been married three times: his first wife was named Claudia; the second, Scribonia; and the third, Livia Drusilla.

Augustus and Scribonia had one daughter-Julia; and Livia had two sons before she married Augustus-Tiberius and Drusus. Livia was a very ambitious, bad person, and had a great wish that her children should succeed to the throne. Drusus, however, died as he was engaged in a war in Germany; and afterwards it was proposed that Tiberius should marry Julia, who was then a widow, having been married twice before, and being left with two children, of whom Augustus was very fond. But these arrangements turned out very badly. Julia was a dreadfully wicked woman, and Tiberius did not like her at all; and he was besides very jealous of her two sons, whom he feared would succeed to the throne: so he left her and went to live by himself. Julia became more and more wicked after this, and at last Augustus was obliged to exile her. To add to this great grief, her two boys died, and thus he was left childless, and entirely under the power of his haughty wife Livia, who ruled every thing after her own will.

The end of the emperor's reign was, from these circumstances, very melancholy. His health began to sink, and about the middle of August, A.D. 14, it was evident both to himself and to others that his death was near. Such a time must be awful to all, and we might at first suppose that even the heathen emperor would then have felt that all the glories of earth were worthless. But the love of admiration, which had been the great motive of all that Augustus said and did during the course of a long life, never left him; and calling his friends around him as he lay upon his dying bed, he asked whether they thought he had played his part in life well? "If so," he added, "give me your applause." Then sinking in the arms of Livia he expired, at the age of seventy.

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