or Hadrian, Publius Aelius, the Roman emperor. He was born at Rome the 24th of January, in the 76th year of Christ, A.U.C. 829. His father left him an orphan, at ten years of age, under the guardianship of Trajan, and Cælius Tatianus a Roman knight. He began to serve very early in the armies, having been tribune of a legion before the death of Domitian. He was the person chosen by the army of Lower Moæa, to carry the news of Nerva's death to Trajan, successor to the empire. Trajan, however, conceived some prejudices against him, and Adrian perceiving that he was no favourite with the emperor, endeavoured to ingratiate himself with the empress Plotina, by which means he succeeded in obtaining for his wife, Sabina, the emperor's grand-niece and next heiress. This was probably the first step to his future advancement, and facilitated his ascent to the throne. As questor he accompanied Trajan in most of his expeditions, and particularly distinguished himself in the second war against the Dacians. Afterwards he was successively tribune of the people, praetor, governor... governor of Pannonia, and consul. After the siege of Atra in Arabia was raised, Trajan, who had already given him the government of Syria, left him the command of the army; and at length, when he found death approaching, it is said he adopted him. Adrian, who was then in Antiochia, as soon as he received the news thereof, and of Trajan's death, declared himself emperor, on the 11th of August, A.D. 117.

No sooner had he arrived at the imperial dignity, than he made peace with the Persians, to whom he yielded up great part of the conquests of his predecessors; and from generosity, or policy, he remitted the debts of the Roman people, which, according to the calculation of those who have reduced them to modern money, amounted to 22,500,000 golden crowns; and he burnt all the bonds and obligations relating to these debts, that the people might be under no apprehension of being called to an account for them afterwards. There were medals in commemoration of this fact, in which he is represented holding a flambeau in his hand, to set fire to all those bonds which he had made void. He went to visit all the provinces; and did not return to Rome till the year 118, when the senate decreed him a triumph, and honoured him with the title of Father of his country; but he refused both, and desired that Trajan's image might triumph. No prince travelled more than Adrian; there being hardly one province in the empire which he did not visit. In 120 he went into Gaul; from thence he went over to Britain, in order to subdue the Caledonians, who were making continual inroads into the provinces. Upon his arrival they retired towards the north; he advanced, however, as far as York, where he was diverted from his intended conquest by the description some old soldiers he found there, who had served under Agricola, gave him of the country. In hopes, therefore, of keeping them quiet, by enlarging their bounds, he delivered up to the Caledonians all the lands lying between the two friths and the Tyne; and, at the same time, to secure the Roman province from their future incursions, built the famous wall which still bears his name (A). Having thus settled matters in Britain, he returned to Rome, where he was honoured with the title of Restorer of Britain, as appears by some medals. He soon after went into Spain, to Mauritania, and at length into the East, where he quieted the commotions raised by the Parthians. After having visited all the provinces of Asia, he returned to Athens in 125, where he passed the winter, and was initiated in the mysteries of Eleusinian Ceres. He went from thence to Sicily, chiefly to view Mount Etna, contemplate its phenomena, and enjoy the beautiful and extensive prospect afforded from its top. He returned to Rome the beginning of the year 129; and, according to some, he went again, the same year, to Africa; and, after his return from thence, to the east. He was in Egypt in the year 132, revisited Syria the year following, returned to Athens in 134, and to Rome in 135. The persecution against the Christians was very violent under his reign; but it was at length suspended, in consequence of the remonstrances of Quadratus bishop of Athens, and Ariarhides, two Christian philosophers, who presented the emperor with some books in favour of the Christian religion. He conquered the Jews; and, by way of insult, erected a temple to Jupiter on Calvary, and placed a statue of Adonis in the manger of Bethlehem; he caused also the images of swine to be engraven on the gates of Jerusalem. At last he was seized with a dropy, which vexed him to such a degree, that he became almost raving mad. A great number of physicians were sent for, and to the multitude of them he ascribed his death. He died at Baiae in the 63rd year of his age, having reigned 21 years. The Latin verses he addressed to his soul, which he composed a short time before his death, in a strain of tender levity, have been much criticised, and have been the subject of numerous translations and imitations.

Animula vagula, blandula, Hafpes, comeqve corporis, Que nunc abitis in loca Pallidula, rigida, nudula, Nec, ut soles, dabit jocos?

Ah! fleeting spirit! wand'ring fire, That long hast warm'd my tender breast, Must thou no more this frame inspire? No more a pleasing cheerful guest? Whither, ah whither art thou flying? To what dark undiscov'erd shore? Thou seem'st all trembling, thriv'ring, dying, And wit and humour are no more!

POPE.

Some fragments of his Latin poetry are still extant, and there are Greek verses of his in the Anthology. He also wrote the history of his own life; to which, however, he did not choose to put his name; but that

(A) This work, though called by the Roman historians murus, which signifies a wall of stone, was only composed of earth covered with green turf. It was carried on from the Solway frith, a little west of the village of Burgh on the Sands, in as direct a line as possible, to the river Tyne on the east, at the place where the town of Newcastle now stands; so that it must have been above 60 English, and near 70 Roman miles in length. It consisted of four parts: 1. The principal agger, mound of earth or rampart, on the brink of the ditch. 2. The ditch on the north side of the rampart. 3. Another rampart on the south side of the principal one, about five paces distant from it. 4. A large rampart on the north side of the ditch.—This last was probably the military way to the line of forts on this work: it was so to those formerly built by Agricola: and if it did not serve the same purpose in this, there must have been no military way attending it.—The fourth rampart might serve for an inner defence in case the enemy should beat them from any part of the principal rampart, or it might be designed to protect the soldiers from any sudden attack of the provincial Britons.—For many ages, this work hath been in so ruinous a condition, that it is impossible to discover its original dimensions with certainty. From their appearance, it seems probable that the principal rampart was at least 10 or 12 feet high, of Philegon, one of his freed-men, a very learned person, was prefixed to it*. He had great wit and a retentive memory, and he distinguished himself in the various branches of literature and science. In his natural disposition he was suspicious, envious, cruel, and lascivious. In his character there was a strange composition of virtues and vices. He was affable, courteous, and liberal; but he was capricious and unsteady in his attachments, and violent in his resentment. Thus he was distrusted by his friends, and dreaded by his enemies. Antoninus his successor obtained his apostasy; and prevented the rescission of his acts, which the senate once intended.