Unparalleld varieties: or, The matchless actions and passions of mankind.: Displayed in near four hundred notable instances and examples. Discovering the transcendent effects; I. Of love, friendship, and gratitude. II. Of magnanimity, courage, and fidelity. III. Of chastity, temperance, and humility. And on the contrary the tremendous consequences, IV. Of hatred, revenge, and ingratitude. V. Of cowardice, barbarity, treachery. VI. Of unchastity, intemperance, and ambition. : Imbellished with proper figures. / By R.B. ...

XX. Portia the Daughter of Cato, and Wise of Mar∣cus Brutus, when she conjectured by the fleepless, and disturbed nights of her Husband, that he had conceived some great thing in his mind, and concealed it from her in suspition of her weakness; she to give her Husband an instance of her Constancy and Secrecy, made her self a deep wound in her Thigh with a Razor; upon which there followed a stream of blood, weakness; and a Feaver. When Brutus came home, sad at so unex∣pected an accident, and all being withdrawn, Sit down Husband said she, I have something serious to discourse with you; when I married you, I came to your House as a Wife, not as a Mistress, or Whore, nor only as a Companion of your Bed, and Board, but of all prosperous and adverse things; I am Cato's Daughter, and reckon you that I am of that blood, what then, do I complain of you? Not at all, if I look at other matters, Conjugal Solemnities, good will, and this exter∣nal love; but I look higher, and would have your Friendship al∣so, and that is the only grief of my mind which torments me, that you have my fidelity in suspicion, for wherefore should you dissemble; do I not perceive the care you are in? Thae there is some secret, and great enterprize you are in agitation about? Why do you conceal it from me? If I can lend you no assistance, expect some comfort at least from me; for as to my secrecy I am able to ingage; consider not the rest of my Sex; I say again, that I am the Daughter of Cato, and I add thereunto that I am the Wife of Brutus, either nature, being from such a Father, or Conversation with such a Husband, will render me constant and invincible against all that is to be feared; why do I multi∣ply words, I my self have made experiment of my self, and see this wound which of my own accord I have given my self, that I might know whether I could undergo with Courage any grief and torments, I now fully believe that I am able to bear them,

to despise them, and I, my Brutus, can die with, and for my Hus∣band; if therefore you are about any thing that is just and honourable, and worthy of us both, conceal it no longer, Brutus admiring the greatness of her mind, and surprized with the discovery of such great affection, lifting up his hands for joy, burst out into these expressions, O all ye Powers above, said he, be ye favourable, and propitious to my desires, and make me a Husband that is worthy of Portia; then he recited in order to her the Conspiracy for killing Ju∣lius Caesar in the Senate House, and who were concer∣ned therein; wherewith she was so far from being af∣frighted, or disswading him from it, that she incoura∣ged him to proceed; but the day on which they were to perform the Enterprize, she being in fear for Brutus, swooned away, and was scarcely recovered by him; at the last Brutus being overcome, and slain at Philippi, she determined to die, & when her Friends, who were ever with her to prevent it, deprived her of the opportunity and means, she at last snatched the burning Coals with her Hands out of the fire, and thrusting them into her mouth, she kept them there till she was choaked. Of this Conspiracy against Caesar, for the Readers better understanding it, I shall make a brief digression. Mar∣cus Brutus (faith Plutarch) was descended from Junius Brutus, as great an enemy to Kings as he was to Tyrants; he was well beloved by Caesar, so that he gave order for his safety at the Battle of Pharsalia as for his own Son; he moved nothing but what was honest and ra∣tional, so grave and constant he was; he carried what he moved, so resolved was he; after Caesar had past the Rulicon contrary to the Decree of the Senate, and had so overpowered them, that he was chosen perpetual Dictator, and had thereby taken away the liberty of the Commonwealth, Brutus, Cassius & some others conspired against him; Brutus hated the Tyranny, and Cassius the Tyrant; Brutus was incensed against Caesars Empire by his Ancestors Enterprize against Kings, and the Peo∣ples expectation from him, for under their Images they writ, O that Brutus were a•…•…ve; and before his face when

he was Praetor, they said, Brutus is asleep. Cassius first sounded Brutus, who said, He would die, or Caesar should not be King; Cassius replied, Rome will not suffer thee to die; they look for Plays and Pastimes from other Praetors hands, but they expect Liberty at thine; then they procee∣ded in their Design, and though many ill Omens might have hindred Caesar from going to the Senate that day, yet he resolved to go on; and being sate, Cimber one of the Conspirators, seems to Petition Caesar, and the rest seconded him, kissing Caesars hand, and then all falling upon him at once, they stabbed him with twenty three wounds, who when he saw Brutus, cryed out, what, and thou my Son? and so gave up the Ghost. Brutus would have satisfied the other Senators, but they fled; the o∣ther Conspirators would have killed Mark Anthony, but Brutus refused it, because he said he was a Person prin∣cipled for Liberty, though ingaged to the Tyrant. At first the multitude abhorred, and were amazed at the Fact, but afterwards they applauded it, when they saw that neither power nor spoil was the design, but honest Liberty, yea, the Senate entertained, secured, honoured & imployed them in several Provinces, particularly Brutus in Creet: who committed two Faults; first, in saving An∣thony their close Enemy, and next in publishing Caesars popular will, and solemnizing his Funeral, at which Anthony, by his Speech, and shewing Caesars bloody Gar∣ments, inraged the multitude so far, that Brutus and his Friends retired to Athens, for fear of Gaesars Soldi∣ers, and there got as many Romans together, as he could prevail upon, with whom he resolved to try his For∣tune, affirming, That he would either die, or live with Li∣berty, and rid his Country of Bondage by Battle, or himself by death; Here Cassius met him with more Forces, and as they were about to pass their Army toward Rome, an horrible Spectacle is said to appear to Brutus; for in the dead of the night, when the Moon shined not very bright, and all the Army was in silence, a black Image of an huge and horrid Body appeared to Brutus, stan∣ding silent by him, his Candle being almost out, and he

sitting musing about the issue of the War, Brutus with an equal constancy both of mind and countenance, said, What Man or God art thou? The Spirit answered, I am thy evil Genius, and thou shalt see me again at Philippi; Brutus couragiously replied, I will see thee there then; so the Spirit disappeared, but as he had said, appeared to him again in those Fields of Philippi, where Brutus and Cassius soon after lost a great Battle against Anthony and Octavius, and their Army being utterly routed, Brutus passed the following melancholy night with some few others in the Woods and Rocks, where the same Spe∣ctre appear'd again to him, and vanished without speaking a word; he then recollecting the loss of his Friends, pitying his Country more than himself, and applauding his own virtue more then his Enemies Con∣quest, did what he looked upon to be neither offensive to Heaven, nor unworthy of a Man, for like Cato his Father in Law, his Friends refusing to do it, he killed himself with his own Sword. Plutarchs Lives. Of this great Person, hear what our incomparable Cowley sings.

I.

EXcellent Brutus, of all Humane Race The best, till Nature was improv'd by Grace. Till men above themselves, faith raised more Than Reasou above Beasts before. Virtue was thy lifes center, and from thence Did silently, and constantly dispense The gentle vigorous influence, To all the wide and fair circumference. And all the parts upon it lean'd so easily, Obey'd the mighty force so willingly, That none could discord, or disorder see In all their Contrariety. Each had his Motion natural and free; And th' whole no more mov'd than the whole World could be.

II.

From thy strict rule some think that thoudidst swerve, (Mistaken honest Men) in Caesars blood; What Mercy could the Tyrants life deserve, From him who kill'd Himself rather than serve? Th' Heroick Exaltations of Good, Are so far from Ʋnderstood. We count them Vice; alass our sight's so ill, That things which swiftest move, seem to stand still. We look not upon Virtue in her height, On her supream Idea, brave and bright, In the Original Light; But as her Beams reflected pass, Through her own Nature, or ill Customs Glass. And 'tis no wonder so, If with dejected Eye, In standing Pools we seek the Sky. That Stars so high above, should seem to us below.

III.

Can we stand by and see Our Mother rob'd, and bound, and ravisht be, Yet not to her assistance stir, Pleas'd with the Strength and Beauty of the Ravisher? Or shall we fear to kill him, if before The Cancel'd name of Friend he bore? Ingrateful Brutus do they call? Ingrateful Caesar who could Rome inthrall! An Act more barbarous, and unnatural, (In th' exact Ballance of true Virtue try'd) Than his Successor Nero's Parricide! There's nought but Brutus could deserve, That all men else should wish to serve, And Caesars usurpt place to him should proffer; None can defer't but be who would refuse the offer.

IV.

Ill Fate assum'd a Body thee t' affright, And wrapt it self i'th terrors of the Night, I'le meet thee at Philippi, said the Spright, I'le meet thee there, saidst Thou, With such a voice, and such a brow, As put the trembling Ghost to sudden flight, It vanish't as a Tapers Light, Goes out when Spirits appear in sight; One would have thought 't had heard the morning Crow. Or seen her well appointed Star, Come marching up the Eastern Hill afar. Nor durst it in Philippi's Field appear. But unseen attacqued thee there. Had it presum'd in any shape thee to oppose, Thou wouldst have forc'd it back upon thy Foes; Or slain't like Caesar, though it be A Conqueror, and a Monarch mightier far than He.

V.

What joy can humane things to us afford, When we see perish thus by odd events, Ill men, and wretched Accidents? The best Cause, and the best Man that ever drew a Sword. When we see The false Octavius, and wild Anthony, Godlike Brutus, conquer thee? What can we say but thine own Tragick Word, That Virtue, which had worshipt been by thee, As the most solid Good, and greatest Deity, By this fatal proof became An Idol only, and a Name? Hold noble Brutus, and restrain The bold voice of thy generous Disdain; These mighty Gulphs are yet Too deep for all thy Judgment, and thy Wit.

The Time's set forth already, which shall quell Stiff Reason, when it offers to Rebel. Which these great Secrets shall unseal, And new Philosophies reveal. A few years more, so soon hadst thou not dy'd, Would have confounded Humane Virtues pride, And shew'd thee a God Crucifi'd.