His many apartments on different floors; and been a perfon of importance in the houthold we find all the offices to be expected in a establishment of every wealthy chief. great family performed with much regula- knowledge and memory, in the deficiency of rity.The directions which Penelope's books, were to supply the place of a librahousekeeper gives to the menial fervants for ry; his fkill in mufic and poetry was to conthe business of the day might fill ferve in vey the instruction in the most agreeable the Eaft without variation : Go quickly,' manner, and inform even when pleifure was the a, fome of you sweep the houfe, and the only apparent object. In one inftance • Iprinkle it; and let the crimson carpets Homer attributes extraordinary authority to ⚫ be spread upon the feats; let all the tables the bard. Ægiftheus could not accomplish ⚫ be well rubbed with fpunges, and wath his purpose of poffeffing himself of the pur⚫ carefully the bowls and the cups. Some fon of Clytemnestra and the principal fway of you go immediately to the fountain for in the Argian government, till he had re< water. No less than twenty went on this moved the bard whom Agamemnon had aperrand. The whole number of maid fervants pointed to be chief counsellor to the Queen were fifty; not however all employed in in his abfence. houfhold bunnefs, but probably most of them in the manufacture of cloth, and making of clothes for the family. Men-servants waited at meals; and thofe of Ulyffes's houfehold are defcribed as comely youths, handfomely clothed, and always neat in their ap pearance. Servants of both fexes feem to have been all flaves. It appears indeed, as we have already remarked, that fince the age of Hercules and Thefeus, confiderable progrefs had been made in establishing the powers of government over Peloponnefus at leaf, and giving fecurity to the country. No apprehenfion of fuch dangers as Thefeus found in the way from Trazene to Athens is mentioned in the account of Telemachus's journey from Pylos to Sparta. Without attendants Telemichus and Pififtratus fet out in a chariot drawn by two horfes. They carry with them provifions for the day. In the evening they arrive at Phere, where they are entertained by Diocles, a chief of the country. The next evening they arrive at Spart; and their return affords no more variety of story. Homer has left us many pictures of his heroes in their hours of relaxation with the goblet circulating. It has indeed been very antiently obferved, that he fhows himself Arongly difpofed to focial and convivial enjoyment. Horace has aggravated the remark into a reproach. Yet allowing for the peculiarities of the manners of the heroic ages, most of which are till found in the Eaft, there is great elegance in Homer's convivial meetings. Once he makes exprefs mention of drunkennefs: but the anecdote forms a ftrong leffon to deter from that vice; fhowing, by a terrible example, that perfons of the highest rank and most respectable character, if they yield to intemperance, reduce themselves for a time to a level with the lowest and most profligate, and are lia. ble to every indignity. But at the feafts of the great, the fong of the bard feldom failed to make a principal part of the entertain ment. The bard indeed feems to have Gent. Mag. Jan. 1785. Women in the Homeric age enjoyed more freedom, and communicated more in bufiness and amusement among men, than in fubfequent ages has been ufual in those eastern countries; far more than at Athens in the flourishing times of the commonwealth. In the Iliad we find Helen and Andromache appearing frequently in company with the Trojan chiefs, and entering freely into the converfation. Attended only by one or two maid- fervants, they walk through the streets of Troy as business or fancy lead them. Penelope, perfecuted as he is by her fuitors, does not fcruple occafionally to fhow herself among them; and fcarcely more referve feems to have been impofed on virgins than on married women. Equally indeed Homer's elegant eulogies and Hefiod's fevere farcafm prove women to have been in their days important members of fociety. The character of Penelope in the Olyffee is the completeft panegyric up. on the fex that ever was compofed; and no language can give a more elegant or a more highly coloured picture of conjugal affection than is displayed in the converfation between Hector and Andromache in the fixth book of the Iliad. Even Helen, in fpite of her failings, and independently of her beauty, fteals upon our hearts in Homer's defcription by the modesty of her deportment and the elegance of her manners. occafions indeed Homer fhows a difpofition to favour the fex: civility and attention to them he attributes moft particularly to his greatest characters, to Achilles, and fill more remarkably to Hector. The infinite variety of His fubjects, and the historical nature of his poems, led him neceffarily to fpeak of bad women: hnt even when the black deed of Clytemneftra calls for his utmoft reprobation, till his delicacy toward the fex leads him to mention it in a manner that might tend to guard against that reproach which would be liable to involve all for the wickedness of one. With fome things of courfe widely differing from what prevails in diftant climates and diftant ages, D On all rank. we yet find in general the most perfect de cency and even elegance of manners in Homer's defcription of the intercourfe of men and women. Of this Helen's converfations on the walls of Troy in the Iliad, and in her court at Sparta in the Odyffee, afford remarkable examples. One office of civility indeed, which we find ufually performed by women in the heroic age, may excite our wonder: the bufinefs of attending men in bathing feems to have been peculiar to women; and, in compliment to men of rank, was performed hy virgins of the highest When Telemachus vifited Neftor at Pylos, the office of wathing and clothing him was affigned to the beautiful Polycatte, the virgin-daughter of the venerable monarch. When Ulyffes appeared as an unknown ftranger in his own palace, the Queen Penelope, uninformed who or what he was, merely in pursuance of the common rights of hofpitality, directed her young maids to attend him to the bath. Ulyffes refu the honour, and defired an old wo nan; but the poet feems to have thought it neceffary that he thould apologize very par sicularly for fuch a fingularity. Repugnant as thefe circumstances appear to common notions of eastern jealoufy, yet customs not abfolutely diffimilar are ftill found among the Arabs. Indeed the general fentiments of the Turks toward the female fex are a frange compound of the groffeft fenfuality with the molt fcrupulous decency. For the credit of Homer, however, and of his age, it fhould be observed that, among all his variety of pictures of human paffion, not a hint occurs of that unnatural fenfuality which afterward fo difgraced Grecian manners. It was cuftomary in the heroic age, as indeed at all times in Greece, for ladies of the highest rank to employ themfelves in fpinning and needlework, and in at least dithe bufinefs of the which was Jan. which humanity is capable; but where, through the inefficiency of law, the inflability of government, and the character of the times, happiness was extremely precarious, and the change frequent from the height of blifs to the depth of mifery. Hence, rather than from a natural temper, Homer feems to have derived a melancholy tinge widely diffufed over his poems. He frequently adverts, in general refle&tions, to the miferies of mankind. That earth nourishes no ani. mal more miferable than man, is a remark which he puts into the mouth of Jupiter himfelf. His common epithet for war and battle is fearful.' With the northern bards, on the contrary, war and battle were fubjects of highest joy and merriment; and this idea was fupported in fact, we are well af fured, to a moft extraordinary degree. Yet there was more generofity and lefs cruelty in the Gothic fpirit of war than in the Grecian. Whence this arofe; what circumstances gave the weaker fex fo much more confequence among the Teutonic nations than among the Greeks; how the spirit of gallantry, fo little known to this elegant and polished people, fhould arife and gain fach univerfal influence among the fierce unlettered favages of the North; that gallantry which, with many fantastical and fome mifchievous effects, has produced many fo highly falutary and honourable to mankind, will probably ever remain equally a mystery in the hiftory of man, as why perfection in the fciences and every elegant art should be confined to the little territory of Greece, and to thofe nations which have derived it thence. An account of the abdication of Visor Amadeus, King of Sardinia, in the year 1730, with his attempt to rejume the crown in 1731. (Continued from Dec. Mag. P. 692.) FIER mark of the recting on, bu fill feely in the Highlands of Amarchionefs was convinced that it Scotland, for every family within itself. It was praife equally for a flave and a princefs to be skilful in works of this kind. In Homer's time washing alfo was employment for ladies. The princefs Nauficca, the young and beautiful daughter of the opulent king of Phoacia, a country famed more for luxu ry than industry, went with her maids, in a carriage drawn by mules, to a fountain in a fequeftered spot at fome diftance from the city, to watch the clothes of the family. It is matter of no small curiofity to compare the manners and principles of the horoic age of Greece with thofe of our Teutonic ancestors. There are trong lines of refemblance, and there are at the fame time frong characteristical touches by which they sland diftinguished. Greece was a country holding out to its poffeffors every delight of would be eafy to penetrate into the fecret motives of his abdication, to which the had hitherto remained a stranger. From this period, with great art and penetration, she studied to difcover his fecret fentiments. She knew by long experience thofe foft and favourable moments of access, in which a wife can obtain any boon from a husband; the feized the propitious inftant, and learned that his intention was to refume the crown in less than two ears. "Two years! (exclaimed the marchionefs, in a tranfport of joy); and why will your defer it to fo diftant a period ?" The king then communicated to her the fecret motives of his abdication, with the reafons which hindered him from refuming the crown until the differences between the emperor and the king of Spain, with regard to the Parmefan and Tuscany, fhould be be terminated either by a peace or war; previous to which event he could not extricate himself from his engagements confiftently with his honour or interests; for on the one hard, fhould be join the allies of the treaty of Seville, in the expectation of their fending a powerful army to fupport him in Italy, he might be very easily overpowered by the Germans:or fhould he, on the other band, declare in favour of the emperor, the allies would not fail to take the fevereft vengeance on him if they ever gained the fuperiority, which in all probability would happen, as the emperor and he would never be able to make oppofition against four powers fo formidable as England, France, Holland and Spain. As he had then been fo unfortunate as to enter into engagements with the emperor and the king of Spain at the fame time, he had been able to find no other expedient by which he could repair his fault, than by abdicating the throne in favour of his fon, recommending it to him to main tain a neutrality with regard to the contending powers, until their difputes fhould be brought to an issue, The marchionel's approved of her hufband's conduct; and they agreed to remain at Chamberry, where they might watch for a time and an opportunity favourable to their defigus. During their refidence in Savoy, this haughty woman fuggelted to her husband, that it would be proper to exercife, at times, that fovereign authority which he ftill retain ed over his fon and his minifters, that it might not infenfibly be lost. Amadeus entered readily into her views, and put her advice in practice. He ordered the king his fon to visit him at Chamberly, to receive his inftructions with regard to fome important affairs; and that prince obeyed him, as if he had been fill his fubject. In the fame manner, he ordered the minifters of state, and feveral of the chief officers of the court, to attend his person; and he was obeyed as if he had been fill their fovereign. cognife his fon as king of Sardinia; that the young king, by being any longer accuftom. ed to the charms of fovereignty, might begin to feel their influences too powerfully, to be willing to renounce them, and to defcend to the rank of a subject.” These inlinuations of the marchionefs left a deep impreffion on the mind of Amadeus, who had now become more jealous than ever of his authority, though he had, in appearance, furrendered it to his fon. He, therefore, refolved, without delay, to return into Piedmont; and having fignified his refolution to his fon, the caftle of Montcalier was, by his orders, immediately prepared for his reception. In the end of Auguft, Amadeus left Chamberry, with his wife, and fixed his refidence in that place. In the beginning of Auguft 1731, Amadeus, having been informed that the empeFor had at length confented to permit Don Carlos, with his 6000 Spaniards, to enter into Italy, communicated the intelligence to his wife. This gave extreme pleasure to the marchionefs, becaufe fhe faw herfelf now in a condition to execute the scheme which the had fo long meditated. For this purpofe, the withdrew with her husband into her clofet; where the obferved to him," That it was now time to return into Piedmont, and to resume the crown, whilst his fon and his fubjects yet retained for him fentiments of respect and obedience; that any delay, at that period, might prove fatal to him; efpesially thould the emperor and Don Carlos re The king his fon, with the principal perfons of the court, immediately attended him, with congratulations on his fafe return. The archbishop of Turin, and the magiftrates of the city, paid him the fame marks of their respect. The queen herfelf, accompanied by feveral ladies of her court, vifited the marchionefs de Spigno; and fhewed her the strongest marks of esteem and affection. In short, Amadeus and his wife, fince their return into Piedimont, appeared to be the real fovereigns of that country. In frequent converfations which that prince had wish the minifters of ftate, and with the governors of Turin and of the citadel, he artfully endeavoured to found their inclinations; and as thofe officers had always profeffed great submission, and a warm attachment to his perfon, he was perfuaded that he might, at that time, re-aicend the throne, without meeting with any oppofition, either on the part of his fon, or of his ministry. He even relied on the attachment of the foldiery: he knew that he poffeffed their esteem, and he flattered himself that he also had their affection; as the greatest part of the officers were his creatures, he did not doubt but that they would pay respect to his inclinations; and he even hoped that they would readily concur in promoting his deigns. But the fequel of this great event, will fhew how much he was deceived in his expectations. He wrote to Marechal Rebhinder in very general, though flattering and infinuating terms. But that genera!, who was commander in chief of the forces, was immediately fenfible of how much confequence it was to destroy every expectation in Amadeus of ever re-afcending the throne. He replied accordingly-that he acknowledged himself his debtor in all that he poffeffedhis eftate, his honours, and his dignities. "Your majefty (faid the marechal) has made me what I am. I owe nothing to king Charles; and all my expreffions of obligation are due only to your majefty. But of D & all the favours with you have loaded me, I have always held the honour of your efteem to be the most precious. Permit me then, Sire, to preferve this honour inviolated; which, I will take the liberty to fay, I have acquired at the expence of that blood which I have fred in your fervice. But I fhould torfeit it, Sire, were I unfortunate enough to prove difloyal to that king whom you have let over me, and to whom you have bound me to yield obedience. I will maintain the fame fidelity to him that I have done to your majefty; and Iwill lofe the last drop of my blood in the fupport of his throne. At the fame time, Sire, I fhall be, at all times, ready to give your majesty the most unequivocal marks of my respectful attachment; fully fenfible that you will never impole upon meiany commands that may be inconfiftent with that joltice and honour which have ever accompanied all my actions.' On the 28th of September, 1731, about fix o'clock in the afternoon, Amadeus, being then alone with his wife at Montcalier, difpatched a meffage to the Marquis del Borgo, with orders to attend him immediately. That minifter, without entertaining the flightett fufpicion of the business on account of which his prefence was required, inftantly obeyed the fummons, as he had been wont to do on former occasions. Immediately on his entering the apartment, the King faid to him, "Del Borgo, I have fent for you to fup with my wife and me, that you might endeavour, by your good humour, to remove a head ach with which the is afflicted; and after fupper I will impart to you an affair which will give you pleafure." The marquis, with the utmott respect, acknowledged the honour which his Majefty had done him, and took his feat at table. The King was in high spirit during the time of fupper, and entertained the marquis with a flow of humour and gaiety. When fupper was over, and the domeftics retired, the King addreffed Del Borgo in the following terms: "It hath given me great pleasure to oblerve, that the King my fon, has retained in his fervice the fame perfons whom I had employed myself; fince, with out doubt, he could not have chofen any that were equal to you in fidelity, or in abilities, or in experience. I doubt not, at the fame time, that you know fufficiently, that it was I that exprefsly charged my fon to employ the fame minuters, on whom I myfelf, during my reign, had fixed my choice; and I hope that, as well out of duty as out of gratitude, you are still firmly attached to him who has been the author of your fortunes." The marquis replied, that his Majelly might always rely on his obedience, as well as on the affection of all the minifters and officers of the King lás son, in the fame manner as if he were fill their fovereign; and that, with regard to himfelf, he would, on all occafion, embrace every opportunity of demonstrating to him the moft fincere and inviolable attachment. The King then refuming that haughty and authoritative tone in which he had been wont to address his minifters, replied, "We are to fully convinced, Del Borgo, that you are entirely devoted to our fervice, that we have ever diftinguished you above all our minifters by our particular regard; we have always felected you from among the rest, in order to intruft to you our most important affairs; and we have now made choice of you to be the depofitor of our most fecret refolutions. It is now about a year fince we have abdicated the throne in favour of our well-beloved fon Charles Emmanuel, from the motives which we fet forth at Rivole on the day of our abdication; to which it may be added, that we had also in our view to try how that prince would demean himself in the character of a fovereign, that we might, in our lifetime, affitt him with our advice, and be able to leave you, after our deceafe, a prince worthy of filling our throne. And though we have been entirely fatisfied with his administration, yet the intereft of our state lays us under an indifpenfible obligation to refume the reins of government immediately, as we are now upon the eve of feeing very important revolutions in Italy, which might prove deftructive to our fon and to his fubjects, were the adminiftration then vested in a young prince, yet inexperienced in thofe wiles and mylleries of political art, which fovereign, who would maintain his power, is under a neceffity of employing. For these reasons, marquis, we command you to deliver up o us the act of our abdication; and then to fignify our intentions to our fon, and his miniffels, in order that we may be invetted to-morrow, without delay, with the fovereignty: for fuch is our will and pleafare." a A declaration fo unexpected threw the marquis into the utmoft confternation; and he was at the greateft lofs how to extricate himfelf from an affair of fuch delicacy and danger. For on the one hand, had he given a pofitive refufal to this high fpirited and im petuous prince, who had never met with a refufal in his life, he ran the rifque of throwing him into a tranfport of fury, to which he himself might have fallen a victim; and, on the other hand, had the marquis yielded to his demands, he would have proclaimed himfelf a rebel against his juft and lawful fovereign, and have incurred the penalty of high treafon. In this embarraffing fituation, that artful minifler, hoping to escape the form which threatened him by an excufe full of fubmiflì on on and flattery, replied to the King, requesting of him, with the utmost humlity, to reflect, that it was not in his power to reflore the act of abdication, until he had first obrained permiffion of the king of Sardinia, to whom, as his majefty knew, he had fworn fealty. The king, chafed and enraged, interrupted him in these words:" Del Borgo, do you acknowledge any other fovereign than me? To whom did you firft fwear the oath of fealty? To me or to my fon? Are you not a traitor, both ungrateful and difloyal towards the perfon who hath raised you to that eminence which you poffefs, and to whom you have this moment profeffed perpetual obedience? But I will eafily find means to bring you back to your duty, fhould you fail to obey me inftantly." The marquis, in the utmost trepidation, proceeded in the following terms: "Sire, if you will do me the favour to liften to me a moment, you shall be convinced that I am not such a man as you imagine me to be. It is true, that, by your orders, I have entered into a new allegiance to the king your fon; but notwithitanding this, I have ever regarded you as my juft and lawful fovereign; and in order to convince you, Size, of my entire refpe&t and obedience, I will bring you the act of abdication to-morrow morning, without mentioning the affair to any perfon whatfoever; and the only favour that I will requeft in return is, that you should justify my proceeding to the king your fon." This anfwer pacified Ainadeus, who, after having obliged the marquis to promife repeatedly that he would religioufly keep his word, left him at liberty to re tire. The marquis had fcarce departed, than this prince, reflecting on what had paffed, began to repent of having difcovered his intentions. He began to entertain a diftruft of all his fon's minifters; he was apprehen five that they would oppose his designs; and his mind was agitated by turns with the emotions of ambition and of revenge. At one inftant he flattered himself with the hopes of fuccefs from the docile and yielding dif pofitions of his fon; at another, he was tortured by the most agonizing apprehenfions. left that prince, after having once tafted the pleafures of unbounded liberty and of absoJute power, should refuse to submit again to the authority of a father fo ftern and rigid as himself, and fo averfe to the purfuits of pleasure. Such reflection as thefe funk his fpirit into the lowett defpondency; nor did he know of any refource to which he could apply; but, ftripped of bis power, and abandoned by his friends, he saw himself devoted to the rigour of his fate. The marchionefs, who had hitherto been wont to enliven his folitary hours, and to banish his cares by her gaiety and tender officioufnefs. now duft not open her lips, left the might irritate his refentment, and draw on herleif the eff.&s of displeasure. In this date of penfive melancholy, fetching deep tighs, and at times giving way to trantports of outra geous fury, which difcovered the agitations that he inwardly underwent, he walked about his chamber till midnight, when addreffing himself to the marchionefs abruptly, as if just awaking from a difinal dream, he exclaimed, "my refolution is formed-order my horle to be got ready for me without delay!" She obeyed, with much reluctance, unable to guess the motive of lo fudden a refolution, and not daring to make any enquiry. He mounted his horfe, attended by one valetde chambre, and prefented himself at the gate of the citadel of Turin, demanding immediate admittance. One of the officers of the citadel immediately acquainted the baron de St. Reris with the arrival of the king Amadeus. The baron was aftonished, and could fcarce be made to believe that he could vifit him at fo unfeafonable an hour: he went himself, without delay, to examine into the truth; and actually found Amadeus oa the fpot extremely impatient to obtain admittance. The governor begged to be informed what was his pleafure with him. "Open the gate this inftant (replied he) and I will fatisfy you-" The baton antwered, that if he had any orders to give him, he might deliver them from the place in which he stood, or fend them to him in writing, for that he could by no means open the gate at fuch an hour, without being wanting to his duty, which he was refolved fhould never be the cafe. The king, after this repulfe, returned to Montcalier filled with confufion, with apprehenfions, and with rage. He had expected that the baron would have received him into the citadel without scruple, because he owed the place which he then held to his good offices: and he had flattrered himself with hopes, that were he once admitted, he might be able, by means of the governor, to let himself at the head of the troops ftationed in that place; and thus to compel his fon to restore the crown, if he should not be difpofed to furre der it voluntarily. But now all his schemes were fruftrated, becaufe he found nobody inclined to aflift in promoting his defigns. Overwhelmed by the keeneft agony, he threw himself down on a couch, without faying a word to the marchionef, who was standing by, filled with diftiefs, at obferving the affliction which her husband endured, whilst the was ignorant of the immediate cause of his fufferings. No fooner had the marquis del Borgo got back to Turin, than he haftened to court, and, with the strongest marks of contter |