numbers flocked thither, to whom he gave the habitations of those who had fled, and whom he admitted to all the rites, privileges, and immunities of the former citizens.

As there were among those who quitted Egypt on this occasion, many grammarians, philosophers, physicians, geometricians, and masters of other liberal arts and sciences, by their means learning was revived in Greece, Asia Minor, the islands of the Archipelago, and in other places where they settled. The wars which had been raging for a long space of time among the successors of Alexander had almost extinguished learning in those parts; and it would have been entirely lost, but for the protection and encouragement given to learned men by the Ptolemies of Egypt. The first of these princes, by founding his museum, or college, for the support of those who devoted their time and talents to the study of the liberal arts, and adding to it an extensive library for their use, drew most of the learned men out of Greece to his metropolis. The second and third following the founder's steps, Alexandria became the principal city in the world, where the liberal arts and sciences were most cultivated, whilst they were almost wholly neglected every where else. Whence, when the Alexandrians were driven by the cruelty and oppression of this wicked tyrant into foreign countries, as most of them had been bred up in the knowledge of some science or other, they were qualified to gain themselves a maintenance by teaching, in the places where they settled, the particular arts they had studied. They opened schools for this purpose, and being satisfied with a small salary, great numbers of scholars flocked to them. By this means, the several branches of learning were revived in the eastern parts in the same manner as they were in later ages in the western, after the capture of Constantinople by the Turks.

While foreigners were flocking from all parts to Alexandria, (about B. c. 136,) three Roman ambassadors, P. Scipio Africanus the younger, Sp. Mummius, and L. Metellus, landed at that port. They had been sent by their republic to visit the countries which were subject to Rome, as Greece and Macedon, and those also that were in alliance with her; their commission being to pass through Greece and Macedon, and from thence to the courts of the princes of Egypt, Syria, Pergamus, Bithynia, etc.; to observe the state of affairs in each kingdom, to compose what differences they should discover among their kings, and to settle in all places peace and concord.

Physcon received these ambassadors with great magnificence. During their residence at Alexandria, also, he entertained them in the most hospitable manner. He caused them to be served with whatever was most delicate and exquisite; but they never touched any thing but the most simple and common meats, despising the luxuries, as serving only to enervate body and mind: so great, even at this date, were the moderation and temperance of the Romans. They knew that,

"If thou well observ'st The rule of not too much, by temperance taught, In what thou eat'st and drink'st, seeking from thence Due nourishment, not gluttonous delight,

Till many years over thy head return,
So may'st thou live till like ripe fruit thou dropp'st
Into thy mother's lap."
MILTON.

When the ambassadors had examined Alexandria, and regulated the affairs which had brought them thither, they sailed up the Nile to visit Memphis and the other parts of Egypt. In this progress, observing the great number of cities, the vast multitude of inhabitants, the fertility of the soil, etc., they concluded that nothing was wanting to render the kingdom of Egypt one of the most powerful states in the world, but a prince of abilities and application. They were, therefore, pleased to find a prince on the throne destitute of every qualification that was necessary for obtaining such power. Nothing, indeed, was so wretched as the idea he gave them of himself in all his audiences. deformity of his body, corresponding with that of his mind, disgusted every beholder. But over this it is better to draw a veil.

The

The ambassadors had no sooner left Egypt, than Physcon began to exercise the same cruelties upon the new inhabitants of Alexandria. No day passed without some signal instance of his cruelty and tyranny; such of the citizens as were possessed of large property being daily destroyed, under some pretence or other.

It has been before observed that Physcon married Cleopatra, his brother's widow, who was also their sister; he now fell in love with a daughter she had by Philometer, who was also called Cleopatra. He first violated the chastity of this princess, then divorced her mother, and married her. But his race of iniquity was now drawing to a close. These, and many other vile excesses of the like nature, exasperated the Alexandrians to such a degree, that they waited only for an opportunity of taking up arms to rid them.. selves of the tyrant who ruled over them.

That Physcon kept the crown on his head, under so general an aversion of his subjects, was owing to Hierax, his chief minister. This man was a native of Antioch, and had, in the reign of Alexander Balas, in a joint commission with Diodotus, called afterwards Tryphon, governed the city of Antioch. When adverse events happened in that city, he retired into Egypt, and there, entering into the service of Physcon, was raised to the chief command of the army, and charged with the management of the affairs of the kingdom. As he was a man of great valour and wisdom, he took care to gain the affections of his soldiery by paying them punctually, and to balance, so far as lay in his power, by his good and wise administration, the evil conduct of his master. By this means, he kept the kingdom quiet for several years, though ruled, says Diodorus, by the most contemptible, brutal, and cruel tyrant that had ever swayed a sceptre.

But afterwards, about B. c. 130, Hierax being either dead or removed from his station,* the Alexandrians began openly to complain of their oppressions, and to throw out threats against their king, unless he changed the tenor of his conduct. Physcon, however, ever fruitful in invention of deeds of cruelty, resolved to put it out

* Athenæus says that he was slain by order of Physcon, as were his other friends; but he does not mention the time.

of their power to attempt any thing against him, by destroying all their young men, in whom the strength of the city consisted. Accordingly, when they were one day assembled in the gymnasium, or place of their public exercises, he caused fire to be set to it, while at the same time he invested it by his mercenaries, so that they all perished in the flames or by the sword. But this exasperated the people to the highest degree; and, guided by their rage and despair, they ran to the king's palace, set fire to it, and reduced it to ashes. Physcon made his escape undiscovered, and retired to the island of Cyprus, with Cleopatra his wife and Memphitis his son. Upon his arrival there, he was informed that the people of Alexandria had placed the government in the hands of Cleopatra, whom he had repudiated; and he immediately raised troops to make war upon the new queen and her adherents.

At this time, B. C. 129, he committed two of the most fearful acts of iniquity that ever stained the annals of crime. He had appointed his son governor of Cyrene, but fearing lest the Alexandrians should place him on the throne of Egypt, he sent for him into Cyprus, and, as soon as he was landed, caused him to be assassinated. This new act of cruelty provoked the people still more against him. They pulled down, and dashed to pieces, all the statues that had been erected to his honour in Alexandria. This led to the second crime. Supposing this to have been executed at the instigation of his divorced queen, to be revenged on her, he slew Memphitis, her son, a prince who was equally admired for his beauty | and his virtues. Nor did his revenge stop here. He caused his mangled body to be enclosed in a chest, with the head entire, that it might be known, and then sent it by one of his guards to Alexandria. The messenger was ordered to wait till the queen's birth-day, which approached, and which was to be celebrated with extraordinary pomp and magnificence, and then to present it. This order, which emanated from the most refined cruelty, was strictly executed. The box was conveyed to the queen, in the midst of the public rejoicings, and changed the mirth of all present into sadness. But it was not sorrow alone that was there felt. The horror and detestation which the sight of such an object stirred up in every breast, against the author of such a monstrous and unparalleled cruelty, cannot be expressed. The present, also, being exposed to the view of the public, had the same effect on the populace as it had on the nobles at court. They saw what they had to expect from a king who had thus treated his own son; and nothing was thought of but how to prevent the tyrant from reascending the throne. An army was soon raised, and the command of it given to Marsyas, whom the queen had appointed general, enjoining him to take all necessary steps for the defence of his country.

On the other hand, Physcon, having hired a numerous body of mercenaries, sent them, (B. C. 128,) under the command of Hegelochus, against the Alexandrians. The two armies met on the frontiers of Egypt, and a battle ensued, wherein the Egyptian army was entirely defeated, and their general Marsyas taken prisoner, and sent in chains to Physcon.

Every one expected that the tyrant would have put the fallen general to death, first making him suffer the most exquisite torments. But he acted contrary to his usual course. Finding by experience that his cruelties only drew misfortunes upon him, he resolved to try whether he could, by using lenity, regain the affections of the people. He, therefore, pardoned Marsyas, and set him at liberty.

Cleopatra being greatly reduced by the loss of her army, which was almost entirely destroyed, sent to demand aid of Demetrius, king of Syria, who had married her eldest daughter by Philometer, promising him the crown of Egypt for his reward. Demetrius accepted the proposal, and marched with all his forces into Egypt, and there laid siege to Pelusium. This prince, however, was no less hated by the Syrians for his haughtiness, tyranny, and excesses, than Physcon was by the Egyptians. Hence, when they saw him at a distance, and employed in the siege of Pelusium, they took up arms against him, which obliged him to hasten back to Syria. Cleopatra, being destitute of the aid she expected, and unable to withstand Physcon, embarked with all her treasures, and set sail for Ptolemais, where her daughter Cleopatra, queen of Syria, then resided.

Upon the flight of Cleopatra, Physcon returned to Alexandria, and reassumed the government, there being no power in Egypt to withstand him. His first thoughts, after being settled anew upon the throne, were, to be revenged on Demetrius for his late invasion. To this end, he set up an impostor against him, called Alexander Zebina, who drove him from his throne, and shared the kingdom with his wife Cleopatra.

From this time, B. c. 127, Physcon held the kingdom of Egypt undisturbed till the twentyninth year of his reign, B. c. 117, and sixtyseventh of his age, when he died at Alexandria. Over his memory the tears of regret fall trickling down. But they are not called forth by respect for his virtues. They drop for the depravity of human nature exhibited in his life. What a monster man may become, when raised to power and left to himself, the actions of Physcon reveal. Christian reader, be thankful, then, that thou art not placed in such circumstances of temptation, and that thou art restrained by a power from above from doing evil: it is the grace of God alone that maketh thee to differ from another.

It can hardly be imagined, that a prince who is represented by historians as a monster rather than man, should have deserved the reputation of being the restorer of letters, and the patron of learned men. But this fact is attested by Athenæus, Vitruvius, Epiphanius, and others. Athenæus tells us, that, in the brief intervals between his debaucheries, he applied himself to the study of the polite arts and sciences. According to this author, indeed, he had so extensive a knowledge, and so great an ease in discoursing of all kinds of literature, that he acquired the surname of the Philologist. The same author adds, that he wrote a history, in twenty-four books, and а comment on Homer. His history, as Epiphanius informs us, was in great repute among the ancients, and often quoted. Galen tells us, that he enriched the Alexandrian

library with a great number of valuable books, which he purchased at a vast expense, having sent men of learning into all parts of the world for that purpose. He allowed one Panaretus, who had been a disciple of Arcesilaus, and who was a man of great learning, an annual pension of twelve talents, or 2,335l. sterling. This is a notable instance of the strange contrarieties that can exist in man, and of the insufficiency of literary taste to raise the human character.

Not lofty intellect the heart keeps clean
From moral taint, nor yet illumes the mind,
By nature dark: grace can alone achieve
This noble work, and make man meet for heaven.

A man may astonish the world by his talents, and yet at the same time grovel in the lowest depths of human degradation. A man may also produce by his talent works, bearing upon each page the stamp of morality, aye, and of Christianity likewise, and yet lead a life of shameless immorality. Head-knowledge affects not the heart : grace alone can make and preserve that holy; and he who has it not, however refined his taste may be, is a sinner in the sight of God. He also must be washed in the blood of the Lamb, or he can have no part in the matter of salvation.

CLEOPATRA, PTOLEMY LATHYRUS,
ALEXANDER I.

At his death, Physcon left three sons. The first, named Apion, was a natural son; the two others were legitimate, and the children of his niece, Cleopatra, whom he married after having repudiated her mother. The eldest of these was named Lathyrus, and the other Alexander.

Physcon left the kingdom of Cyrenaica by will to Apion, and Egypt to his widow Cleopatra in conjunction with one of her sons, whom she should think proper to associate with her. The crown belonged, by right of inheritance, to Lathyrus, the eldest of his lawful children; but Cleopatra, looking upon Alexander as the most likely to bend to her will, resolved to choose him. The people of Alexandria, however, took up arms against her for this decision, and obliged her to send for Lathyrus from the island of Cyprus, whither she had caused him to be banished by his father, and to associate him with her on the throne. But before she would suffer him to be inaugurated, according to the custom of the country, at Memphis, she obliged him to repudiate his eldest sister, Cleopatra, whom he passionately loved, and to marry Selene, his youngest sister, for whom he had little affection.

66

a

On his inauguration, Lathyrus took the name of Soter; but he is called by Strabo, Pliny, Josephus, and other ancient writers, Lathyrus; and by Athenæus and Pausanias, Philometer, lover of his mother," which was given him, as the latter author observes, by antiphrasis, no one having ever hated his mother more than he did. The generality of historians distinguish him by the name of Lathyrus, which, in the Greek tongue, signifies a kind of pea, from whence, it is supposed, that he had some mark of this description on his face. This is very probable; for the Greek word Lathyrus answers to the

Latin Cicer, whence the family of the Ciceros derived their name; one of their ancestors having an excrescence like a pea on his face.

Cleopatra, whom Lathyrus had been obliged to repudiate, disposed of herself in marriage to Antiochus Cyzicenus, carrying with her an army, which she raised in Cyprus, for her marriage portion. By this army, Cyzicenus was enabled to make head against Antiochus Grypus, his half-brother and competitor. Cyzicenus, however, was defeated by Grypus, and his wife Cleopatra dragged from one of the temples of Antioch, where she had taken sanctuary, and put to death by the command of her sister Tryphena, the wife of Grypus. These latter events occurred from 117 to 113 B.C.

In the mean time, Cleopatra, queen of Egypt, the mother of these two unnatural sisters, did not seem to be affected either with the death of the one, or the crime of the other. Her mind was so influenced by ambition, that the voice of nature was stifled, and all its gentle workings in her breast disregarded: her only aim was the support of her authority in Egypt, and to continue her reign without control during life. To strengthen herself the better, she gave the kingdom of Cyprus to Alexander, her younger son, that she might be assisted against Lathyrus, should he ever dispute her authority.

Lathyrus had not reigned long, before his mother, provoked at some measures adopted against her will, by base artifices gained over the people of Alexandria. The matter is thus related by Justin, Pausanias, Porphyry, and Josephus. While the two competitors for the crown of Syria were wasting their strength against each other, B. c. 110, John Hyrcanus, prince of the Jews, undertook the siege of Samaria. The Samaritans had recourse to Cyzicenus, who marched to their relief, but had the misfortune to be overthrown in battle by the two sons of Hyrcanus, who had besieged the place. After this victory, B. C. 109, the two brothers returned to the siege, and pursued it with such vigour, that the besieged were obliged to implore aid once more of Cyzicenus, who, not having sufficient forces of his own for such an attempt, requested Lathyrus, king of Egypt, to send him a body of troops to be employed against the victorious Jews. Lathyrus complied, and ordered 6,000 men into Syria, contrary to the opinion and inclination of Cleopatra. She carried her resentment of this and some other encroachments so far, that she took his wife Selene from him, and obliged him, B.C. 107, to quit Egypt. As this could not be effected without the consent of the Alexandrians, the unnatural mother stirred up the populace against her son; she caused some of her favourite eunuchs, on whose fidelity she could depend, to be wounded, and then, bringing them covered with blood into the public assembly of the Alexandrians, pretended that they had been thus treated and abused by Lathyrus, for defending her person against his wicked attempts. By this base fiction, she inflamed the minds of the Alexandrians to such a degree, that they rose in a tumult against him, and would have killed him, had he not saved his life by retiring on board a ship, which immediately set sail and carried him out of danger.

In the mean time, Chalcias having lost his life in the pursuit of Lathyrus, that prince, B. c. 102, taking advantage of the disorder occasioned in the army by the loss of their general, marched with all his troops into Egypt, hoping to find it unprovided with forces in the absence of his mother, who had carried her best troops with her into Phenicia. But his hopes were ill-founded. The forces which Cleopatra had left for the defence of the country bravely defended it, till others, which she had despatched from Phenicia upon receiving advice of the invasion, arrived. Lathyrus was, in consequence, obliged to return to Palestine, where he took up his winter quarters at Gaza.

Cleopatra pushed the siege of Ptolemais with so much vigour, that she at length reduced it. As soon as she entered the city, Alexander made her a visit, and brought rich presents with him to recommend himself to her favour. He was successful in his application; but what conduced most to this was, his hatred for her son Lathyrus, which alone was sufficient to insure him a favourable reception with Cleopatra; thus reversing the order of nature, whose dictates are, love to our offspring. An inspired prophet has asked"Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?" Isa. xlix. 15; thereby indicating that such conduct was foreign to human nature. The history of Cleopatra declares that the tender mother may become the bitter persecutor of her offspring, that affection for them may be swallowed up in self-love and vain ambition; and that which is

can transform the parent into a monster.

Some of Cleopatra's courtiers pointed out to her the fair opportunity she now had of making herself mistress of Judea, and all the dominions of Alexander, by seizing his person, earnestly pressing her to perform this foul act. The queen was inclined to follow their advice; but Ananias represented to her the infamy of such a deed: that it would be acting contrary to honour and good faith, which are the foundations of society; that such conduct would be prejudicial to her interests; and that it would draw upon her the abhorrence of all the Jews dispersed throughout the world. He so effectually prevailed by his arguments and influence with Cleopatra, that she abandoned the design, and renewed her alliance with Alexander, who having, after his return to Jerusalem, recruited his army, took the field anew, and crossing the Jordan, laid siege to Gadara.

Lathyrus having spent the winter at Gaza, and finding that all his efforts against Palestine were of no avail, so long as his mother opposed him, left the country, and returned to Cyprus. Cleopatra then sailed back into Egypt; and thus Palestine, says Josephus, was delivered from all foreign forces, to the great joy of the Jewish nation.

Being informed, upon her return to Alexandria, that Lathyrus had entered into a treaty, at Damascus, with Antiochus Cyzicenus, and that with the aid expected from him he was

preparing to make a new attempt for the recovery of the crown of Egypt; to make a diversion, she gave her daughter Selene, whom she had taken from Lathyrus, to Antiochus Grypus, sending him at the same time a considerable supply of troops and money. By this means, Gry pus being enabled to renew the war with his brother Cyzicenus, the latter was so entirely employed in defending himself, that he could not lend any assistance to Lathyrus, who was thereby obliged to forego his intentions, and return to Cyprus.

During these years, Ptolemy Alexander, the younger brother, acted the base part of a slave, under the specious appearance of a sovereign. At length, however, tired out with the indignities he suffered from this warlike fury, and terrified with the cruelty with which Cleopatra persecuted his brother Lathyrus, especially in thus taking from him his wife, and giving her to his enemy; and, moreover, observing that she did not scruple to commit the greatest crimes to gratify her ambition, that prince did not consider himself any longer safe near her, and therefore stole away privately from Alexandria, choosing rather to live in exile with safety, than to reign with so wicked and cruel a mother, in continual danger of his life. His flight alarmed the queen; for she was well aware that the Alexandrians would not suffer her to reign without one of her sons. She therefore used all her art to prevail upon Alexander to return; and, after much solicitation, he was prevailed upon to accede to her request. long after, however, B. c. 89, Cleopatra, not being able to bear a companion in the supreme authority, nor to admit her son to share the honour of the throne with her, resolved to put him to death. The prince heard of her resolve, and he prevented its performance by cutting her off first, thus punishing her for her crimes, but by a crime equal to her own. Surely, when we read of such dark deeds as these being committed without repugnance under the influence of paganism, we ought to lift up our hearts unto the Giver of all good for the privileges we enjoyfor living in a country where, and at an age when doctrines are promulgated which inculcate the love of God and man, and which are calculated to bind mankind together in one holy bond of love and concord.

Not

The crime of Alexander (for it was a crime which even his mother's evil designs cannot extenuate) did not remain unpunished. As soon as it was known that the son had caused the mother to be put to death, the enormity of the crime stirred up all his subjects against him. They would not suffer a parricide to reign over them, but drove him out of the country with ignominy, and recalled Lathyrus from Čyprus, and replaced him on the throne.

For some time, Alexander led a rambling life in the island of Cos, while his brother returned in triumph, amidst the acclamations of his people. But the next year, Alexander, having collected some ships, attempted to return into Egypt. He was met at sea by Tyrrhus, Ptolemy's admiral, who defeated him, and obliged him to flee to Myra, in Lycia. From Myra, he steered towards the island of Cyprus, hoping the inhabitants would declare in his favour, and place him on the throne, which his brother had vacated to