women for their conjugal affection, gave the men to their wives, and received the duke into his favour.

A NOBLE EXAMPLE OF

VIRTUE AND FORTITUDE,

IN THE HISTORY OF FELICITAS THE MATRON, AND HER SEVEN CHILDREN.

AMONG all the female sex who are candidates for the admiration of posterity, the lady whose history I now offer, is among the foremost.

In those early periods, when our religion was as yet but thinly disseminated through the world, when the tyrants frowned, the gibbet threatened, and all the laws of every country seemed armed with vengeance to oppose it; then, bravely to assert the cause of christianity might dignify the greatest hero; but how much greater is the praise when a feeble woman boldly asserts her master's cause, and for his sake, gives up to the executioner, not only her own person, but the persons of her seven sons, all remarkable for their courage, fidelity, beauty, and unerring virtue.

Felicitas was born at Rome, in the reign of Trajan the emperor, at the time when the general persecution against the christians was beginning to subside. This interval of rest to christianity served to spread its doctrines, and invigorate its professors for any future contingent calamity.— Felicitas was the daughter of a Roman senator, who had been formerly converted himself, and gave all his family a christian education: but this daughter in particular engaged his greatest

attention. She was the child of his age, and the object, next to heaven, of his peculiar care. Shewas equally remarkable for sense and beauty, and she added virtue to both, which finishes the picture. She was sought for in marriage by persons of the greatest eminence then in the Roman empire, and at last made choice of one, who was equally zealous in the cause of christianity with herself. This couple lived together with the ut most harmony for several years, and had seven children, all sons, who were early instructed in the principles of their parents. The father, how ever, dying, and Adrian ascending the throne, the sons, in order to support the honour of the family, and with the consent of the mother, went to the Roman army, which was employed in stopping the incursions of the Parthians and Persians, who now began to invade the empire. Upon their arrival at the army, and being dressed in uniform; Adrian, in reviewing his troops, was particularly struck with the exquisite form of the oldest as he passed along, but his pleasure increas⚫ed, when he saw six more, all of whom he knew by their faces, were brothers. He therefore demanded who they were, and being informed, made Januarius, the eldest, the tribune of his own cohort, and gave each of the rest, some subordinate posts in his army. The confidence he reposed in them was by no means misplaced, not even the oldest officers, showed more complacency in camp, or more bravery in the day of battle. In their own example they revived true military glory, and taught Rome to behold the spirit of ancient intrepidity not entirely extinguished. The very name of Januarius, grew terrible to the enemy, and yet the merciful manner in which he treated them wben subdued, and his giving them their

liberty, on condition of turning christians, attracted their love, respect, and esteem. In this manner they continued to fight the battles of their country for several years, whilst every messenger brought to Rome, some new accounts of their generosity, their courage, and the wounds they had received or given. Their country was pleased, and praised their merit; but chiefly their mother, though now grown old, thought herself happy. She received the news of their victories with pleasure, and thanked heaven that gave her an opportunity of bringing into the world so many heroes for the defence of their declining country. Upon Adrian's return, after conquering the enemy, a triumph was decreed him by the senate, and he entered Rome in the usual solemnities, with his whole army, and the captives and spoils taken from the enemy; but in the whole army, none were more remarkable than the seven brothers, all exactly cloathed alike in similar armour, and all covered over with the wounds they had received in several years hard campaigns. The acclamations of the people were loudest whenever they passed by, whilst they moved forward with modest downcast looks, and at last went to pay those duties which they longed to pay to their mother. They continued in Rome for some years, and though they had been long bred soldiers, yet a military life only served to increase their love for christianity, being, if possible, rather more remarkable for their piety than their valour. It was in the reign of Marcus Aurelius, that a new persecution commenced against christians of every denomination: neither sex, age, dignity, nor former services were remembered, but all were indiscriminately dragged to execution, and suffered all the punishments that barbarous super

stition, or mistaken zeal could inflict. Among the number, who were accused of being christians, were Felicitas the matron, and her seven sons. The idolatrous priests, had long been incensed at the numbers which were converted to christianity by their influence, arguments and example. They complained to the emperor, then at Rome, representing her and her sons as so many implacable enemies to the gods of Rome, and assuring him that the security of his empire depended on appeasing the offended deities by their blood. They were therefore seized in their own palace, and orders were given from the emperor himself, that they should recant their opinions, or suffer the punishment which the magistrates, in such cases were empowered to decree. It was in vain that the unhappy family remonstrated, that they had long faithfully served their emperor and country when they were most wanted, and that it was hard now to condemn them for opinions they had before professed with openness and impunity; they enlarged on the favours they received from Nerva, and entreated at last to be rescued from the resentment of the priesthood, and that if they must fall, that it might be by the judgment of a secular tribunal. Upon this the emperor's orders were dispatched to Publius, who was then the governor of Rome, to see the judgment executed without severity; but Publius himself was one of the number of those, who still adhered to the barbarous worship established by law,' and who was one of the most zealous persecutors of the christians that bad ever been known before. He therefore called the christian family into his presence, and began with the mother, now aged seventy-three, imagining that if he could gain her, the example would influence her sons, at the

same time hoping that maternal tenderness would induce her to change her opinions, merely to secure her children. He therefore addressed her in the language of an able orator; laid before her the numberless advantages that would result to her upon her abjuring of christianity; talked largely of the religion of her ancestors, by which they had grown into power and fame, and displayed the ill consequences that would be the result if christianity should prevail: but to those remonstrances Felicitas answered, "That she had learned the truth of her religion from her very infancy, of which she was thoroughly convinced, and that to recant them now would only be giving the lie to her professions. She knew, she said, all that could be urged against her, and was prepared to receive it. Her ancestors, she told him, had many of them died for their country, but she was determined to be greater still, and die for her God."

The magistrate now began to change his language, and let her understand the tortures that were prepared in case she should refuse; but Felicitas with a look of the utmost intrepidity, regarding her children that stood around her, replied, "that she had seven sons who were not terrified when surrounded with dangers, and that she would show herself worthy to be their mother." Publius, surprised at the resolution of her reply, endeavoured to bring her to compliance, by observing, that though she had no consideration for her own life, yet he hoped she would have some tenderness for the lives of her children. To which she answered, "That life and death were things but of small consequence in her estimation, and that whether her children lived or died, she hoped they would behave like profes