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OCTAVIUS CAESAR-WILLIAM PITT.

OCTAVIUS CESAR, entering early into public life, was recommended no less by the celebrity of his uncle, JULIUS CESAR, than by his own insinuating manners and address.

WILLIAM PITT also, on his first appearance, at an early age, was as much indebted to the high reputation of his father, WILLIAM EARL OF CHATHAM, as to that commanding and persuasive eloquence peculiarly his own.

OCTAVIUS CESAR, at first, pretending great zeal for the republic, co-operated strenuously with Cicero against the designs of Antony, and drew the veteran Legions to concur in its defence.

WILLIAM PITT, espousing with no less apparent warmth, the cause of his country, joined with Horne Tooke, and other popular leaders, against the prevailing abuses in the representation of the people, and three times moved the House of Commons for their reform.

OCTAVIUS CESAR, coalescing afterwards with Antony, turned his arms against the friends of the Republic, and gave up Cicero to the vengeance of an enemy, by whom he was unjustly put to death.

WILLIAM PITT, with equal alacrity, accepting office with the supporters of the old system, opposed successive motions for a reform in the representation; and acquiesced in the prosecution of Horne Tooke and his adherents, on an unprecedented charge of High-Treason.

OCTAVIUS CESAR, on his accession to the sovereign power, preserved the ancient forms of the Constitution; and, under the popular title of Consul, with the authority of Tribune, laid the foundation of an efficient despotism in every department of the State.

WILLIAM PITT likewise effected repeated violations of the Constitution, under the sanction of the Legislature, and exercised the most despotic authority, as First Lord of the Treasury, and one of the Representatives of the people.

OCTAVIUS CESAR, disdaining that pomp and ceremony, which might offend his countrymen without enhancing his real power, preserved in his private life the style of other Senators, whilst he drew the sole administration of the Government, legislative, executive, and judicial, into his own hands.

WILLIAM PITT, despising for himself all rank and title, which, without extending his authority, might have impaired his influence, maintained the unassuming style of a commoner, whilst directing the councils of his Sovereign with unbounded sway.

OCTAVIUS CESAR, with a view to strengthen his authority, invested his nearest connexions with offices of honor and of trust, whilst he ingratiated himself with the soldiers and the people, by distributing his bounty with unsparing hand.

WILLIAM PITT also promoted his kinsmen to the most efficient and lucrative departments, as the bulwarks of his administration, and sought public favor by the profusion with which he scattered titles, rank, and emoluments, among various classes of society.

By such means OCTAVIUS CESAR soon eradicated that love of liberty so long cherished by his countrymen; and, by the seducing influence of some prominent examples, prepared them progressively for the yoke.

By such means too WILLIAM PITT unnerved the manly character of the ancient gentry, and by the overweening expectations of private interest, narrowed the means of constitutional resistance.

The public corruption thus artfully introduced by OCTAVIUS CÆSAR, eventually destroyed the liberties of Rome, and led the way to those scenes of despotism and depravity which marked the period of her long decline.

The debasing system pertinaciously pursued by WILLIAM PITT, has increased the influence of the British Crown, and encouraged a total disregard of those just principles of Government, which have long been the basis of its solid fame.

The mischiefs resulting from the errors and misconduct of OCTAVIUS CESAR, have long been clearly developed in the degradation and ruin of his country, when every bold exertion was paralysed by the enervating consequences of unbounded sway.

The pernicious policy of WILLIAM PITT, involves no less certain ruin to the proud pre-eminence of Britain's Glory, if not counteracted by a timely recurrence to those sounder maxims which he advocated in the dawn of his career.

The body of OCTAVIUS CESAR was carried to the funeral pile, on the shoulders of Roman Senators, statues were raised to his memory, and divine honors were decreed to his remains.

The obsequies of WILLIAM PITT were no less publicly performed, statues still commemorate his achievements, and his principles are idly cherished by selfish or infatuated partizans.

OCTAVIUS CESAR, however, when he abandoned the cause of the republic, united with the adherents of his own family, against the men by whom his uncle had been publicly assassinated.

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But WILLIAM PITT, by a more flagrant dereliction of principle, entered into the closest alliance with the political enemies of his father, against his own most early and disinterested friends.

OCTAVIUS CÆSAR also, when he attained the object of his ambition, became the patron of literature and the arts; whilst men of liberal and enlarged minds, who had strenuously opposed his advancement, by their genius and acquirements conferred real splendor on his Imperial Court.

WILLIAM PITT, however, in the plenitude of his power, regardless of all liberal patronage, allowed the merits and services of his early friends to be forgotten, amidst the promotion of men, by whom his dawning efforts had been most contemptuously opposed.

The sanguinary and perfidious measures, which marked the early progress of OCTAVIUS CÆSAR, no longer sullied his conduct on the attainment of the sovereign power; and after a long and prosperous administration of the Government, he left ROME the mistress of surrounding nations, in the enjoyment of a stable peace.

The cold calculating policy of WILLIAM PITT, on the contrary, was protracted to the close of his career; for, with the infatuated wish to check the progress of public reformation, he involved his country in a most disastrous war; and after contributing largely to the subjugation of Europe, like another Phaeton, incompetent to guide the chariot of his father,

he perished amidst the conflagrations, which he had so rashly caused.

OCTAVIUS CESAR, therefore, having been proclaimed AuGUSTUS, by the general voice of his country, has been honored with the eulogy of some of the most distinguished writers of his own and each succeeding age.

But WILLIAM PITT, having no corresponding claims to the applause of the historian and the poet, however flattered by his adherents, as a heaven-born Minister, or the Saviour of his country, will be more justly appreciated by posterity, as the bane of Europe, and the chief destroyer of his country's weal.

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Whilst, therefore, in the fortune and character of these two men, the similarity at times appears so striking, the equally marked contrast is by no means favorable to the character of William Pitt.'

NICOLA RIENZI-NAPOLEON BUONAPARTE.

NICOLA RIENZI, surmounting the disadvantages of birth, by the assiduous cultivation of his talents, was roused to lament the fall of ancient Rome with enthusiasm, by studying her history and eloquence in the writings of Cicero and Livy.

NAPOLEON BUONAPARTE, more indebted to education than to family, was excited to emulate the fame of ancient heroes, by familiarising his mind to their actions, so forcibly described by Plutarch.

RIENZI, distinguished by his eloquence at an early age, had been advantageously employed in the civil service of his country, before he was called upon by the public voice to take the lead in measures of redress.

BUONAPARTE'S military talents had been successfully displayed in a rapid career of conquest, before he was looked up to as a Statesman, qualified to direct the councils of his country in arduous times.

The arrogance and corruption of the Roman Nobles, had excited a general disgust; and, in pointing out the crimes and

'Plutarch: Vita. Antonii. Taciti Annales, l. 1. §§. 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 10. 11. § 3. III. §§. 5, 6. Suetonii Vita Augusti. Parliamentary History, 1780-1806. State Trials, Court Calendar, &c.

follies of their rulers, RIENZI had taught the people, under his auspices, to look forward to the restoration of the good

estate.'

The tyranny and peculation of the French Directors, had produced reverses which destroyed their influence; whilst Buonaparte, by his former successes, having dazzled the minds of the people, he was hailed as the harbinger of returning victory and renown.

A well managed conspiracy transferred to RIENZI, the supreme direction of affairs; whilst the countenance of the Pope's Vicar gave strength to his authority, as sanctioned by the Holy See.

A successful attack on the public functionaries, placed BUONAPARTE at the head of the GOVERNMENT; whilst the alliance of the Pope, and of hereditary rulers, was not long withheld.

With the modest title of TRIBUNE, RIENZI long maintained his sovereign power, enacting the most salutary laws for the administration of justice, and enforcing his authority by a regular and permanent force.

Under the successive titles of FIRST CONSUL and EMPEROR, BUONAPARTE long asserted an unbounded sway; and after the arrangement of a Code of Laws, at once simple and comprehensive, maintained his power with equal vigor and effect.

Without the fear of sacrilege, RIENZI applied the treasures of the Apostolic chamber to the public service, and by a judicious economy, improved the finances of the State.

BUONAPARTE seized the treasures of surrounding nations with unsparing hands; and, without bearing severely on the industry of his own people, maintained a long series of expensive wars.

RIENZI received the oath of fidelity from the several orders of society; and, boasting that he had delivered the throne and patrimony of St. Peter, had his title publicly confirmed by the Pope.

BUONAPARTE's sovereignty was also sanctioned by a great majority of the people; and when he had secured their acquiescence in the succession of his family, he was crowned by

' Il buon stato, the ancient free Government of Rome.