ceeded in passing her girdle tightly round her neck and the back of the seat on which she was placed; then slipping her feet from their resting-place, she was soon out of the power of the bloody Nero, or any other tyrant to torment her further. The other conspirators, lacking the courage and endurance of Epicharis, endeavoured to make their peace with Nero: without exception, however, they were handed over to the executioner. Finally, the Romans were aroused to avenge the atrocity of the Emperor, which compelled him to fly from Rome. As his death would certainly follow if he was taken prisoner by the Romans, he was urged by his friends to anticipate his end by suicide. This he consented to do, but put off the completion of his intention by frivolous and childish excuses until the sound of the horsemen sent to apprehend him was heard. Then summoning up a little resolution, he thrust the point of a poniard into his throat; his trembling hand, however, had to be aided by his secretary ere the work was completed. Thus this blot upon humanity passed from the face of the earth: while living a pest, and remembered when dead only to be execrated. Catharina. CATHARINA, surnamed "The Heroic," a female in a much more elevated position than that of Epicharis, furnishes an instance of the like bravery and devotion in defence of her subjects when treated unjustly. When Charles the Fifth, on his return, in the year 1547, from the battle of Muhlberg to his camp in Swabia, passed through Thuringia, Catharina, Countess Dowager of Schwartzburgh, born Princess of Henneburg, obtained from him a letter of safeguard, that her subjects might have nothing to suffer from the Spanish army on its march through her territories; in return for which she bound herself to allow the Spanish troops that were transported to Rudolstadt, on the Saarbrucke, to supply themselves with bread, beer, and other provisions, at a reasonable price in that place. At the same time she took the precaution to have the bridge, which stood close to the town, demolished in all haste, and reconstructed over the river at a considerable distance, that the too great proximity of the city might be no temptation to her rapacious guests. The inhabitants, too, of all the places through which the army was to pass, were informed that they might send the chief of their valuables to the castle of Rudolstadt. In the mean time, the Spanish general, attended by Prince Henry of Brunswick and his sons, approached the city, and invited themselves, by a messenger whom they despatched before, to take their morning's repast with the Countess. So modest a request, made at the head of an army, was not to be rejected: the answer returned was that they should be kindly supplied with what the house afforded; that his excellency might come, and be assured of a welcome reception. However, Catharina did not neglect at the same time to remind the Spanish general of the safeguard, and to urge home to him the conscientious observance of it. A friendly reception and a well-furnished table welcomed the arrival of Duke Alva at the castle. He was obliged to confess that the Thuringian ladies had excellent notions of cookery, and did honour to the laws of hospitality. But scarcely had they taken their seats, when a messenger, out of breath, called the Countess from the hall: his tidings informed her that the Spanish soldiers had used violence in some villages on the way, and had driven off the cattle belonging to the peasants. Catharina was a true mother to her people; whatever the poorest of her subjects unjustly suffered, wounded her to the very quick. Full of indignation at this breach of faith, yet not forsaken by her presence of mind, she ordered her whole retinue to arm themselves immediately in private, and to bolt and bar all the gates of the castle; which done, she returned to the hall, and rejoined the princes, who were still at table. Here she complained to them in the most moving terms of the usage she had met with, and how badly the Imperial word was kept. They told her, laughing, that this was the custom in war, and that such trifling disorders of soldiers in marching through a place were not to be minded. "That we shall presently see," replied she, stoutly; "my poor subjects must have their own again, or" (raising her voice in a threatening tone) "princes' blood for oxen's blood." With this emphatical declaration she gave a signal, on which the room was in a few moments filled with armed men; who, sword in hand, yet with great respect, planting themselves behind the chairs of the princes, took the place of the waiters. On the entrance of so many fierce-looking fellows, Duke Alva changed colour, and they all gazed at one another in silent terror. Cut off from the army, surrounded by a resolute body of men, what could they do? The Duke instantly despatched an order to the army to restore the cattle without delay to the persons from whom they had been stolen. On the return of the courier with a certificate that all damages had been made good, the Countess politely thanked her guests for the honour they had done her castle; and they, in return, very joyfully took their leave. "Make thy demands to those that own thy power ! Is ever free and loyal! and even now, As at the head of battle, does defy thee! I know what power the chance of war has given, Lady Anne Askew, THE CHRISTIAN MARTYR. Is it possible that tender woman has gone to the stake as fearlessly and as resolved in purpose as man has?-has borne almost without a groan the tortures of the rack, the screwtortures invented by fiends in human form? Fox, in his Book of Martyrs, tells us of the sufferings of holy men, who, rather than make shipwreck of their faith, have submitted to horrible cruelties; and when their limbs have been mangled, and the flames have burnt their flesh, that even then they have joyously sung those spiritual songs that had delighted them in their hours of worship, and have welcomed death as the prelude of a glorious life. Yet the boldest and bravest martyr, who has endured most valiantly, has not, under the like circumstances, borne his sorrows more nobly than woman. There is Lady Joan Boughton, for instance, who is stated to have been the first martyr in England. She was fourscore years of age, and yet, because she persistently insisted upon reading the Scriptures, she was threatened to be burnt. Yet this brave old woman, instead of being cowed and subdued, actually rejoiced; she defied those who could harm the body, gloried in the love of God and the communion of holy |