University of Virginia Library

The folly of this renowned chief is handed down to us, who blubbered in sooth, because he had no more worlds to conquer, or rather because be could cut no more throats; for I should like to know, if these great men, your Cæsars, Hannibals, Pompeys, &c. &c. were any other than a set of licensed robbers and murderers; therefore, well has a reverend divine said,

What has not ambition done, and what will it not undertake, to attain its object? read but the annals of the world, nay, even look to the simple relation of Spanish barbarity in Peru and Mexico; in short, there is not a state but has had to show its aspiring fools. Yet how must the braggart Lewis XIV. have been humbled, who in the progress of his glory, caused a medal to be struck, representing (in allusion to himself) the sun in its meridian splendour; but having received a check from the arms of King William, at that time Prince of Orange, a Dutchman executed a similar coin, with this addition, that the Prince of Orange was represented as Joshua commanding the Sun to stand still. Such are the reverses which high vaulting ambition must look to; such proved the downfall of a Wolsey, and may such be the declension and the fate of that Imperial fool, whose ambition even now grasps at the attainment of universal sway! Abbraccia tal volta la fortuna coloro, che vuol poi affogare.

It is of little consequence, whether or not the poet had his eye upon Shakspeare's simile in the above line, as the beauty of our dramatist's words it is hoped, will plead the annotator's excuse for their introduction here:

With all deference to the ideas of our bard, I must nevertheless alter a word in one of the lines given by him to King Richard,

For certainly, the more inordinate the ambition, the greater the fool who aspires to its attainment; when even throwing in the back ground all those break neck casualties, of which history adduces so many instances, the very summit of this species of fools' glory, will not enable him to stifle the yearnings of conscience, to ward off old age, to shut out pain, and escape from the jaws of death; if such be the case, I will not only say cui bono? but equally answer to the cuimalo? of any fool that shall propose the question—by stating, that the rapacious mind can enjoy no ease, and what is life without a quiet spirit? Like a Sisyphus, the ambitious ideot rolls up the hill the ponderous stone, which sooner or later must recoil, and crush him; say then what becomes of all his glory? well may he at last exclaim,

A famous ------ who might truly be denominated the modern Semiramis of the north, was a striking instance of ambitious folly, who did not scruple to connive at the murder of her own husband, as soon as she had grasped the reins of power: neither can I forget to instance the famous Cromwell, in England, who, after the publication of Colonel Titus's work entitled Killing no Murder, was in such a constant state of apprehension as to drive his own coach in disguise, fearful of assassination; while at the same time, he nightly changed his bedchamber, to evade the blow of the assassin.