a famous Roman orator. While he filled the office of praetor, Sicily fell to his lot, and he cleared the seas of the pirates which infested that coast. He was made consul with A. Posthumius Albinus, in the year of Rome 653; when he opposed the turbulent designs of Sextus Titus, tribune of the people, with great resolution and success. Some time after, he was made governor of Cilicia, in quality of proconsul; where he performed so many great exploits, that he obtained the honour of a triumph. We cannot omit observing, that, in order to improve his great talent for eloquence, he became a scholar to the greatest men at Rhodes and Athens, in his way to Cilicia, and when on his return to Rome. Soon after, he was appointed censor; which office he discharged with great reputation, having carried his case before the people, against Marcus Duronius, who had preferred an accusation of bribery against him, in revenge for Antonius's having erased his name out of the list of senators, which this wise censor had done, because Duronius, when tribune of the people, had abrogated a law Antonius, law which restrained immoderate expense in feasts. He was one of the greatest orators ever known at Rome; and it was owing to him, according to the testimony of Cicero, that Rome might boast herself a rival even to Greece itself in the art of eloquence. He defended, amongst many others, Marcus Aquilius; and moved the judges in so sensible a manner, by the tears he shed, and the scars he showed upon the breast of his client, that he carried his cause. He never would publish any of his pleadings, that he might not, as he said, be proved to say in one cause, what might be contrary to what he should advance in another. He affected to be a man of no learning. His modesty, and many other qualifications, rendered him no less dear to many persons of distinction, than his eloquence made him universally admired. He was unfortunately killed during those bloody confusions raised at Rome by Marius and Cinna. He was discovered in the place where he had hid himself, and soldiers were sent to despatch him; but his manner of addressing them had such an effect, that none but he who commanded them, and had not heard his discourse, had the cruelty to kill him. His head was exposed before the rostra, a place which he had adorned with his triumphal spoils. This happened 90 years before the Christian era.

Antonius, Marcus, the triumvir, grandson to the former, was very handsome in his youth; for which reason he was greatly beloved by Curio, a senator, who, by carrying him about in all his debaucheries, made him contract such heavy debts, that his own father forbade him his house. Curio, however, was so generous as to bail him for 250 talents. When the civil war broke out, Curio took Caesar's party, and prevailed with Antonius to do the same; for which he was made a tribune of the people, and in that office did Caesar great service. Caesar having made himself master of Rome, gave Antonius the government of Italy. At the battle of Pharsalia, Caesar confided so much in him, that he gave him the command of the left wing of his army, whilst he himself led the right. After Caesar was made dictator he made Antonius general of the horse, though he had never been praetor; in which command he exerted his power with the utmost violence. He was made consul, when Caesar enjoyed that honour for the fifth time, the last year of that usurper's life. On Caesar's death, he harangued the populace with great art, and raised their fury against his murderers; flattering himself that he should easily get into the place which Caesar had filled; but his haughty behaviour made him lose all the advantages his affected concern for Caesar had gained him. His ill treatment of Octavius, and quarrel with him, produced another civil war; which ended in an accommodation between him, Octavius, and Lepidus, fatal to the peace of Rome. They agreed to share the supreme power among them; and many of the most illustrious Romans were sacrificed by proscription to cement this bloody league, which is known by the name of the Second Triumvirate. But the triumvirs were too ambitious, and hated one another too much, to be long united. Antonius went into Asia to raise money for his soldiers; during his absence, Fulvia his wife quarrelled with Octavius. When Antonius was in Asia, indulging himself in all manner of luxury, the famous Cleopatra inspired him with the most violent passion. Hearing of the quarrel between Fulvia and Octavius, and finding Octavius was become publicly his enemy, Antonius entered into a confederacy with Sextus Pompeius, who was still master of Sicily. He then went into Italy, in order to fight Octavius; but Fulvia, who had been the author and promoter of this war, dying, Octavius and Antonius came to an agreement. One of the conditions of this new peace was, that they should together attack Pompey, though the former had lately make an alliance with him. Antonius then married Octavia, sister to Octavius, as a pledge of their renewed friendship; but returned soon after to his beloved Cleopatra, and again lived with her in Alexandria. Octavius took hold of this pretence to inveigh against him, and begin the war again. At last they engaged in a sea fight at Actium, in which Octavius gained a complete victory; which was followed by the deaths both of Antonius and Cleopatra. The infatuated Antonius fell upon his own sword; and Cleopatra flung herself to death with an asp, as was supposed, to avoid gracing the victor's triumph at Rome.