he had undertaken in the spring. The North was on the point of receiving law from Charles, who with thefe eminent advantages was now in the poffeffion of a large and well appointed army, whilft the enemy's beaten, wearied, and broken forces neither appeared able nor willing to oppose the progress of his victories.' Thus far the conftitutional friends of liberty may think the proceedings of the parliament defenfible; nor can any thing decifive be pronounced as to the general scope and tendency of this work, till its author fhall defcend to times and characters which wear complections very different from those she has hitherto difcuffed. It is plain from her narrative, that the parliament mistrusted every conceffion made by Charles. Perhaps there is a manner which is equal to a manifestation; nor have the friends of Charles been very lavish in their encomiums on the good grace with which he bestowed even, his favours. That fome of his conceffions were contrary to his conscience, is evident from the reflections which were wrung from him in his days of adverfity; and it would perhaps require no great degree of moral caftiftry to decide, whether they would have been obferved and executed, had the sunshine of his prosperity returned.—With respect to the execution of this volume, it seems to improve both in ftile, and compofition as the author advances in her subject; and she certainly is entitled to the cha racter of the concomitant of her labours, -Vires acquiret eundo. II. Belifarius. By M. Marmontel, Member of the French Aca B ELISARIUS commanded the armies of Juftinian, and rendered his name immortal by his military atchievements. He recovered Africa, which had been severed from the empire above a hundred years, and overturned the monarchy. of the Vandals; he defeated the Perfians in feveral engagements, and in Italy gained many fignal advantages over the Goths. Yet after all thefe important fervices, this brave commander, in the latter part of his time, was degraded and imprifoned. Agathias afcribes his difgrace to the malice of his enemies at court; who, envying him the great reputation he had defervedly acquired, perfuaded the emperor, whose jealoufy encreased with his years, that Belifarius aspired to the throne; that the people, who preferred him to the most renowned heroes of antiquity, were unanimously attached to his intereft; and that the foldiery were ready to fupport him in his ambitious ambitious designs. Upon these malicious and groundless infinuations he was pronounced guilty of treafon. Some hiftorians affirm, that his eyes were put out by the order of Juftinian, that he was divefted of all his poffeffions, and obliged to beg for his fubfiftence. This circumftance may be confidered rather as a popular opinion, than an hiftorical truth; yet this opinion has fo univerfally obtained, and the idea of a blind old man, reduced to beggary, is now fo affociated with the name of Belifarius, that the latter never occurs, without. prefenting to the imagination a picture of the former. The author of this performance has therefore represented his hero in this unfortunate fituation. In other particulars he has taken Procopius for his guide *. In the first part of this work we have the following account. of. Belifarius after his difgrace. On the night when he was ordered into confinement, amazement, grief, and confternation filled his palace. The alarm which feized his wife Antonina, and Eudoxa his only daughter, gave a picture of despair and agony in their most ftriking colours. At length Antonina recovering from her fright, and calling to mind the favours which the empress had lavished on her, began to flatter herself that her apprehenfions were groundless; fhe condemned, with felf-reproach, the weakness she had betrayed. Admitted to an intimacy and dearness with Theodora, the companion and fharer of all her focial pleasures, the depended upon support from that quarter, or at least she believed that Theodora was her friend. In this perfuafion fhe attended the levée of the emprefs, and falling on her knees in the face of the whole court; Madam, faid fhe, if to have defended and faved the empire on various occafions has been the distinguished lot of Belifarius, that the guilt now imputed to him may be examined in open day light, and that his accufers may confront him at the tribunal of the emperor, is now the recompence he asks for all his generous labours: a free trial, and the opportunity of confounding his enemies, is the only favour he can with honour accept. Theodora made her a fign to rife, and with a look of frigid indifference answered; If Belifarius is innocent, he has nothing to fear; if the charge be true, he is no ftranger to the clemency of his master, and * M. Marmontel pays no regard to the Anecdotes, which are attributed to Procopius. He is of opinion that they have been; the production of fome paltry declaimer of later times. This, notion is agreeable to the sentiments of many able critics.. Suidas, in the eleventh century, is the first who afcribes this despicable fatire to Procopius. he he knows the foft acceffes to his heart. You may withdraw, madam, in full confidence that I regard you; I fhall not eafily forget that I have distinguished you by my favours. This cold reception, and the abrupt manner of the conclufion, quite overpowered Antonina; fhe retired pale and trembling, and of all the beholders not one dared to lift an eye towards her, Barfames, whom the met, would have passed her by unnoticed, if fhe had not addressed herself to him: Barfames was the minifter of the treafury, and the favourite of Theodora. She' entreated him to inform her what was the crime laid to the charge of Belifarius. I inform you, madam! fays Barfames; I am totally in the dark; a ftranger to this affair; I have nothing in my power; I know nothing, nor do I interfere in any thing but the duty of my department: if every body followed the fame rule, the peace of the world would be less disturbed. Ah! fays Antonina, the plot, I fee, is deeply laid, and Belifarius is undone. A little further on fhe met a man who owed his all to her, and who, on the preceding day, was entirely devoted to her fervice. She made an attempt to expof tulate and canvass the affair with him; but without deigning to hear her, I know your misfortunes, said he, and I am forely mortified; but I must beg your pardon, I have a business to follicit, and there is not a moment to be loft: I must leave you, madam, but be affured, that nobody is more zealously attached to you. Antonina went in queft of her daughter, and in an hour's time she received directions to depart the city. An old folitary caftle was affigned the place of her exile.' A year paffed away without any intelligence of Belifarius. At length, in confequence of a popular infurrection, he was released. But when the people saw that he was deprived of his fight, they were exasperated. Belifarius appeafed their indignation. They offered him all they were worth. He thanked them, and faid, 'All I will ask is one of your boys, to guide my steps to the asylum where my family expects me.' In his way thither he happened to beg for fhelter and hofpitality at a castle fituated in the territories of Thrace. A party of gentlemen were then at fupper. The venerable ftranger was admitted; and they gave him a feat near the fire. The misfortunes of the state became the fubject of their difcourfe. The old man in the corner liftened to this club of politicians, and pity mingled with his fmiles. His air, his manner, and the propriety of his obfervations when they urged him to speak, excited their curiofity to know his name. My name, fays the old man, is Belifarius. The aftonishment with which they were feized, at the name of a man who had so often conquered in three parts of the globe, will fuggeft itself to every imagina tion. He was now folicited to make one at the table: but he defired to be excufed. Every civility was offered, and he was importuned to accept the best bed in the castle. He recommended his young guide to their good offices, and contented himself with a little straw. -- The next morning, as foon as there was light enough for his guide, Belifarius departed, before his hofts were awake. Tiberius, who was afterwards emperor, happened to be one of the company, and related this extraordinary incident to Juftinian. It is impoffible, continued he, that fo elevated a mind could defcend to the bafeness of the confpiracy laid to his charge: I would engage my life that he is innocent, if a life like mine were worthy of being furety for fo illuftrious a character. I will fee him, and confer with him, replied the emperor, without difclofing myself to him: in the condition of blindnefs, to which he is reduced, this will not be impracticable - Tiberius, therefore, was ordered to entice him, if poffible, to his country feat. Belifarius, in the mean time, begging alms as he went, journeyed on towards the ruinous caftle where his family refided.. Arriving that night at a village, his conductor stopped at the door of a house which had a fimple, but neat appearance. The landlord was entering with a fpade in his hand : the mien and features of Belifarius attracted his attention, and he invited him to partake of his hofpitality. This humble cottager was Gilimer, king of the Vandals, whom Belifariust had led in triumph to Conftantinople, with his wife and children. The interview was affecting.-When Belifarius departed, Gilimer embraced him, bathed him with his tears, and could hardly quit his hold. At length he let him go with a parting pang, and straining his eyes after him, O profperity! fays he, thou cheat profperity! who can confide in thee? the warlike hero, the great, the good Belifarius!Now indeed he may think himself happy who digs his garden.With thefe words the king of the Vandals refumed his fpade.' 6 Belifarius was now near the afylum of his family, when a new incident made him fear that he should never reach it. The inhabitants upon the borders of the empire were perpetually making incurfions into Thrace. A party of Bulgarians had invaded the confines, just as a rumour was spread abroad, that Belifarius, deprived of his eye-fight, was discharged from prifon, and was begging his way to his exiled family. The idea of attaching to himself fo confiderable a man foon ftruck the prince of Bulgaria, who little doubted but Belifariús would em brace the most rapid means of revenge. The road he had taken was known, and orders were accordingly iffued for a di ligent purfuit. Towards the clofe of the day Belifarius was overtaken force was not to be refifted; he was obliged to mount a fuperb horse brought for the purpose, and fubmit to the direction of the Bulgarians. An old courtier, whofe name was Beffus, refided at a neighbouring caftle, which the barbarians were determined to attack. Beffus had commanded at Rome during a fiege, and after being guilty of the moft horrible exactions, retired to this place with ten thousand talents. Belifarius had infifted that he should be profecuted with the utmost feverity of the law; but those at court, who did not with to have matters too closely infpected, being all of his party, the enquiry was prevented, and Beffus retired, to enjoy his crimes and his money in rural tranquility. Beffus at this juncture was celebrating the misfortune of Belifarius, by a day of feftivity, as a punishment inflicted by heaven. Abject wretch! faid the Bulgarians, he shall not long have it in his power to triumph in the downfall of a great man like you. They immediately entered the castle. Beffus and his companions were inftantly feized, and dragged to the place where Belifarius was guarded. Beffus perceived on horfeback a blind old man; he immediately knew him, and befeeched his mercy. The old general, foftened with tendernefs, conjured the Bulgarians to fpare his life. No, faid the chief, no mercy here for bad men! This was the fignal for flaughter. Beffus with all his comrades was put to death upon the spot. The Bulgarians proceeded to regale themselves at the table, and Belifarius was placed in the feat of Beffus. The next day the hero was conducted to the Barbarian camp. The prince gave him a generous reception, and endeavoured to gain him to his interest: but in vain. He was therefore conveyed, at his own request, to the place where he was taken. From thence he proceeded to a neighbouring village, and was received with fingular demonstrations of joy by a family which he had rescued from the ravage of the Huns. In the mean time Tiberius reached the castle where Belifarius was expected. While he was making his enquiries the general arrived. At the fight of his deplorable condition Eudoxa fwooned away, and Antonina, who was then ill of a fever, was feized with distraction, and, after a short interval of compofure, expired. In the midft of thefe afflicting circumstances Belifarius did not endeavour to controul either his own grief, or that of his daughter; he permitted a free vent to both; but as foon as he had paid to nature the tribute of a feeling heart, he reassumed his ftrength, and emerged from his affliction with true fortitude of mind. Being informed that a young stranger defired |