The Monarch of the Forum. vessels, except one pail, go to the wife; all the dishes, except one dish, go to the wife; and those two to the husband; the wife is to have the car and the yoke to convey her furniture from the house. The husband is to have all the drinking vessels (!); the husband is to have the riddle, the wife the small sieve. The husband is to have the up per stone of the quern, and the wife the lower. The clothes that are over them be long to the wife; the clothes that are under them belong to the husband, until he marries again; and after he marries, the clothes are to be given up to the wife; and if another wife sleep upon the clothes, let her pay ' wyneb-werth ' to the other. To the hus band belong the kettle, the bed coverlet, the bolster of the dormitory, the coulter, the fuel-axe, the auger, the settle, and all the hooks, except one, and that one to the wife. To the wife belong the pan, the trivet, the broad-axe, the hedge-bill, the plow-share, all the flax, the linseed, the wool, the house-bag, with its contents, except gold and silver; which, if there be any, are to be shared; the house-bag is the hand-bag. If there be webs, they are to be shared : the yarn-balls to the children, if there be any; if not, they are to be shared. The husband is to have the barn, and all the corn above ground and un
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der ground; the husband is to have all the poultry, and one of the cats, the rest belong to the wife. The provisions are to be thus shared : to the wife belong the meat in the brine, and the cheese in the brine; and after they are hung up they belong to the hus band; to the wife belong the vessels of but ter in cut, the meat in cut, and the cheese in cut; to the wife belongs as much meal as she can carry between her arms and knees, from the store-room into the house. To each of them belong their clothes, except their mantles; the mantles are to be shared. Their debts, let them pay in equal shares. If the husband be privileged, let him show his privilege before the sharing; and after he shall have obtained his privilege, let there be a sharing, as we have said above." 1 In the Welsh Anomalous Laws we read : "Whoever would prosper, let him avoid loving three things over much: woman, and ebreity, and sleep." 2 After quoting this good advice and reflect ing on all the absurdities aforesaid, we can not more fitly conclude than in the words of one of George Eliot's characters : " However, I 'm not denyin' that women are foolish; God Almighty made 'em to match the men." i Ven. C. B. II. ch. i, §§2-8. » B. V. ch. ii. § i S3.
THE MONARCH OF THE FORUM. CRASSUS was dead, Cotta an exile from Rome, and Hortensius in the zenith of his fame, when the youthful Tully first entered that arena where he was destined so soon to carry off the palm from all competitors. Not long before this there had been a period of much public excitement and agitation at Rome, and all who were candidates for the high honors of the State were compelled to court the favors of the sovereign people by animated harangues, which they almost daily addressed to assem74
bled crowds. Such were Metellus Celer and Varius and Carbo and Pomponius and Caius Julius, who from the Rostra declaimed to the populace. Below them stood a youth of spare and meagre frame, whose long, thin neck was eagerly stretched forward, as he endeavored to catch every word that fell from the speaker. Who would have recognized in his pale, consumptive figure the future orator of Rome? Yet that was Cicero, whose health was then weak and delicate, and who constantly attended these meetings,
