Page images
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

money when I want it, without all this formality in parliament?" The bishop of Durham readily answered, "God forbid, sir, but you should; you are the breath of our nostrils," Upon this the king, addressing himself to the Bishop of Winchester, who was celebrated for his wit, "Well, my lord, and what say you?" "Sir," replied Andrews, "I have no skill to judge of parliamentary cases." The king exclaimed, No evasions my lord; I expect an immediate and direct answer to my question." "Then, sir," said he, I think it lawful for you to take my brother Neale's money, for he offers it." This prelate died, September 27, 1626, and was buried in the church of St. Saviour, Southwark, where a monument was erected to his memory. He had a share in the present translation of the Bible; and a volume of his sermons was published after his death, by the bishops Laud and Buckeridge. His private devotions and meditations in Greek were translated into English by Dr. Stanhope.. ANDREWS,(Mr.) was born to an easy independ ent fortune, but commencing life at a time that he was incapable of judging of the world, or of himself, was led away by a single passion; for he was not actuated by any other. He devoted himself entirely to the blind god, dess, and worshipped her incessantly under the form of two ivory balls. He was remarkably thin, not very tall, though above the middle size: his face was a perfect vacuum, with respect to every possible idca except Billiards. So infatuated was he in pursuing this game, to

attain

attain the summit of excellence at it, that he sacrificed days, nights, weeks, months, and years to it.

At length he arrived at such a degree of perfection, as well in the theoretical, as the practical part of the game, that there was no player in Europe could equal him, except one, who was the celebraed Abraham Carter, who kept the tables at the corner of the Piazzas, Russel-street, Covent-Garden. Mr. Andrews was the most devoted adept of this game that ever nature produced; he seemed but to vegetate in a Billiard-room, and indeed he did little more in any other place. He was a perfect Billiard Valetudinarian, in the most rigid signification of the expression. He ate, drank, slept, walked, nay, talked but to promote the system of the balls. His regimen was tea, and toast and butter, for breakfast, for dinner, and for supper.

It might reasonably be imagined, that so regular a professor would obtain all the advantages that could result from the science. He won considerable sums, but knew not the value of money; and when playing for only five or ten pounds, he took no pains but seemed perfectly indifferent about winning or losing. There was a latent finesse in this, but it did not operate to his advantage: he was laying by for bets, but as they were seldom offered, the strength of his play being very well known, he often lost, by repeated small sums, very considerable ones,

It is generally believed, however, that he has played for more money at Billiards, than any other person ever did. The following is a remarkable circumstance: he one night won of Colonel We upwards of 1000l. and the Colonel appointed to meet him the next day, to go with him into the city, to transfer stock to him to the amount of the sum lost. Being in a hackney-coach, they tossed up who should pay for it. Andrews lost, and upon this small beginning he was excited to continue, till he had lost the whole sum he won the night before at Billiards. When the coachman stopped to set down, he was ordered to get up again, and drive them back, as they had no occasion to get out.

By these pursuits he lost very large sums which he had won at Billiards; and, in a few years, hazard, and other, games at chance, stripped him of every shilling he could command. He had still left a small annuity, which he endeavoured to dispose of, but it was so securely settled upon himself that he could not sell it; otherwise it is probable that it would soon have been transferred at the gamingtable. He very lately lived in a retired manner in Kent, where he declared to an intimate old acquaintance that he never knew contentment while he was rolling in money; but since he was obliged to live upon a scanty pittance, he thought himself one of the happiest men in the universe. It is now generally believed that he is dead.

ANTONINUS.

ANTONINUS (MARCUS), or Mark Antony, the Triumvir, was the son of M. Antoninus Creticus, by Julia, a noble lady, of such merit, that Plutarch affirms her to have been "comparable to the wisest and most virtuous ladies of that age." On the death of his father, he plunged himself into a course of riot and debauchery, before he had assumed the manly gown. He afterwards went abroad to learn the art of war under Gabinus, where he displayed his courage in the restoration of Ptolemy, king of Egypt. From Egypt he went to Gaul, where Cæsar commanded with reputation; who enabled him to go to Rome and obtain the questorship, in which office he became very active in behalf of his benefactor, and af terwards obtained the tribunate. For his great services, when Cæsar had made himself master of Rome, he gave Antony the government of Italy, with the command over the legions there, in which post he acquired the esteem of his soldiery. Cæsar afterwards appointed him master of the horse, for his conduct at the battle of Pharsalia, and chose him his colleague in the consulship. On the death of Cæsar, Antony judiciously got the acts of his colleague imme diately confirmed by the senate, and ordered a public funeral at which he made an harangue in favour of the deceased. This had such an effect on the populace, that Brutus and Cassius were obliged to quit the city. Antony then manifested, by his conduct, that he meant to assume the sovereignty to himself. To check his career, the patriots, with Cicero at their head,

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

head, espoused the cause of Octavianus, the heir of Cæsar, which induced him to retire to his government of Cisalpine-Gaul, where he began a civil war, by laying siege to Mertina, now called Modena. This siege is one of the most memorable things of the kind in history; and in conducting it, Antony, though defeated, acquired much reputation; the consuls, Hurtius and Pansa, being slain: and nothing but superior forces could have left Octavianus master of the field. Antony fled in great confusion, wanting even the necessaries of life; after having wallowed in luxury and intemperance. He fled to the Alps, and was received by Lepidus, with whom and Octavianus, he formed the second triumvirate, to which Cicero fell a victim through the revenge of Antony. After the defeat of Brutus and Cassius at Phillipi, Antony passed into Asia, and outrivalled in splendor all the princes of the country. Here he was captivated by the charms of Cleopatra, whom he accompanied to Alexandria, where he devoted himself to a life of pleasure. Octavianus, instigated by Fulvia, the wife of Antony, took the advantage of his voluptuous indolence, and commenced hostilities in Italy; but a reconciliation afterwards taking place, Antony married Octavia, the sister of his colleague. A new division of the empire was occasioned by this alliance, the west being allotted to Octavianus, and the east to Antony; Africa being given to Lepidus. Soon after this partition had taken place, Antony repaired to Syria, and renewed his intercourse with Cleopatra, and, on account of his depraved profligacy, was deprived of his con

C

sular

« PreviousContinue »