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a variety of other subjects; he was universally accounted one of the most learned scholars, as well as greatest orators, of his age; and the time may come when mankind shall be ashamed of ever having admired in any other capacity so great a scourge of the species. Yet this man's life was spent either in the field, or among political convulsions at home, almost from his boyhood. If he found time and tranquillity for the cultivation of letters, who is there that might not? Like our own Alfred, too—another but a far more illustrious instance of the hero, statesman, and scholar, combined-Cæsar had to struggle all his life with the weakness and depression of bodily disease. But, though he was a spare man," says Plutarch," and had a white and soft skin, somewhat distempered in his head, and subject to the falling sickness, (which, they say, first seized him at Corduba, in Spain,) yet he did not make his indisposition of body a pretext for effeminacy, but made his way-faring a medicine for his infirmity, whilst, by indefatigable journeying, thin diet, and lying out in the fields, he struggled and waged war, as it were, even with his disease, and kept his body so guarded by this means, that it was very hard for any ill to attack him. He slept most commonly in his chariot or his litter, but employed the very hours of rest in the designs of action. In the day-time he was carried about to castles, cities, or fortifications, with one servant along with him in the chariot, who, among other things, used to write down what he dictated, and a soldier behind the vehicle to carry his sword. Thus would he travel so swiftly, that, having set out from Rome, he would arrive at the river Rhone in eight days. Now, he rode well from his childhood, for he had accustomed himself to sit with his hands behind him, and to put the horse to the full speed. But, during his wars in Gaul, he improved

himself so as to dictate letters from on horseback as fast as two amanuenses, or, as Oppius affirms, more than two could take down his words."-The elder and younger Scipio Africanus, and Polybius, the friend of the latter, of whose universal history, written in Greek in forty books, only five have come down to us, are other names that might be quoted from ancient times in illustration of how possible it is to combine the habits of a military life with the love and the pursuit of literature.

One of the most remarkable examples of this combination which modern history supplies, is to be found in FREDERICK II., of Prussia, called Frederick the Great, on "account of the worst parts of his character and conduct. The principal part of the life of this monarch was spent in the camp, in a constant struggle with a host of enemies. Yet, even then, when the busy day scarcely afforded a vacant moment, that moment, if it came, was sure to be given to study. Frederick had very early formed an attachment to reading, which neither the opposition of his father, who thought that the scholar would spoil the soldier, nor the schemes of ambition and conquest, which occupied him so much in after life, were able to destroy or weaken. When at last, therefore, he felt himself at liberty, or compelled, to sheathe his sword, he gave himself up to the cultivation and patronage of literature, and the arts of peace, as eagerly as he had ever done to the pursuit of military renown. His life, from his earliest years, had been one of great and regular activity. Even before his accession to the throne, and while yet but a young man, he had established in his residence, at Rheimsberg, nearly the same system of studious application, and economy in the management of his time, to which he ever afterwards continued to adhere. His relaxations, even then, were almost entirely of an intellectual character; and

he had collected around him a circle of literary associates, with whom it was his highest enjoyment to spend his hours in philosophic conversation, or in amusements not unfitted to adorn a life of philosophy. In a letter written at this time to one of those friends, he says; "I become every day more covetous of my time; I render an account of it to myself; and I lose none of it but with great regret. My mind is entirely turned toward philosophy; it has rendered me admirable services, and I am greatly indebted to it. I find myself happy, abundantly more tranquil than formerly; my soul is less subject to violent agitations; and I do nothing till I have fully considered what course of action I ought to adopt." In another letter to the same correspondent, speaking of the employments of himself and the literary friends residing with him, he says: "We have divided our occupations into two classes, of which the one comprehends those that are useful, and the other those that are agreeable. I reckon, in the number of those that are useful, the study of philosophy, of history, and of languages; the agreeable are music, and the tragedies and comedies that we exhibit here. Our serious occupations have, however, always the privilege of preceding the others; and I dare venture to affirm to you, that we make only a reasonable use of those pleasures; engaging in them for no other purpose but to relax our minds, and to temper that moroseness and extreme philosophic gravity which does not easily suffer its countenance to be enlivened by the Graces." A more complete notion, however, will be obtained of the management by which he contrived to make so much use of his time, from the following interesting account of his daily occupations, which Dr. Towers, who has written a history of his reign, has collected from a variety of authorities :

"It was his general custom to rise at five o'clock

in the morning, and sometimes earlier. He commonly dressed his hair himself, and seldom employed more than two minutes for that purpose. His boots were put on at his bed-side, for he scarcely ever wore shoes. After he was dressed, the adjutant of the first battalion of his guards brought him a list of all the persons that were arrived at Potsdam, or departed from thence, and an account of whatever had occurred in the garrison. When he had delivered his orders to this officer, he retired into an inner cabinet, where he employed himself in private till seven o'clock. He then went into another apartment, where he drank coffee or chocolate; and here he found upon the table all the letters addressed to him from Potsdam, Berlin, or any other parts of his dominions. Foreign letters were placed upon a separate table. After reading all these letters, he wrote hints or notes in the margin of those which his secretaries were to answer; and then returning into the inner cabinet, carried with him such as he meant to write or dictate an answer to himself. Here he employed himself till nine o'clock with one of his private secretaries. He then returned back again into his former apartment, where he was attended by three secretaries, each of whom gave him an account of what he had done; after which the king delivered his orders to them, with the letters they were to answer. None of these answers, however, were sent off till they had been read, and many of them signed by the king. At ten o'clock the generals who were about his person, whom he was accustomed to send for in their turn, attended him to his closet, where he conversed with them on the news of the day, politics, tactics, and other subjects; and at this time he also gave audience to such persons as had received previous notice to attend. At eleven o'clock he mounted his horse, and rode to the parade, where he reviewed

and exercised his regiment of guards; and at the same hour,' says Voltaire, all the colonels did the same throughout the provinces.' He afterwards walked for some time in the garden, with his generals and the rest of the company whom he had invited to dine with him. At one o'clock he sat down to dinner, and his company generally consisted of the princes his brothers, some of his general officers, some of the officers of his regiment of guards, and one or two of his chamberlains. He had no carver, but did the honours of the table himself, like a private gentleman. His table generally consisted of twenty-four covers; and his dinner-time did not much exceed an hour. After dinner he generally conversed with some of his guests for about a quarter of an hour, walking about the room. He then retired into his private apartment, making low bows to his company. He remained in private till five

o'clock, when his reader waited on him. His reading lasted about two hours, and this was succeeded by a concert, in which he himself was a performer upon the flute, and which lasted till nine. When the concert was over, he was attended by Voltaire, Algarotti, Maupertuis, or some other wits or favourites whom he had invited. With these he supped at half an hour after nine, and his company seldom consisted of more than eight persons, the king himself included. At twelve the king went to bed."

The literary works of Frederick will be at least allowed to shew some industry, when it is stated that they extend, in the most complete edition, to no fewer than twenty-five octavo volumes-quite a wonderful amount of authorship, certainly, for one who led so busy a life, and strikingly illustrative of what may be done by the economical employment even of the merest odds and ends of time; for, compared to the leisure which many a student enjoys, such must