The Cotton Factory Times. — 1889-12-13 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

XVI. She was assailed by enemies from the very day she became cineem, and many libels—unproven and doubtless groundless—wore circulated by her enemies concerning her. Marie Antoinette was very much unsuited to the dangerous times in which she lived. Her fondness of pleasure, luxury, and fine dress ; her rather selfish indifference to the appalling misery around her; her levity of disposition; the favours she bestowed on creatures like Brienne, ozc., who became Ministers and squandered the hard-earned money of their countrymen; her foolish opposition to the Convocation of the States General, all tended to make her an object of hatred, and to increase the disaffection of the people for the court. She was even publicly declared the cause of the emptiness of the exchequer In October, 1789, she narrowly escaped with her life from an attack by the mob, and then, just when the storm cloud was ready to burst, she made a vain attempt to curry favour by feigning an interest in the labours of the people. She fled with the king, 1791; was stopped at Varennes, taken back to Paris, confined alone in the Temple (1792), and subjected to gross indignities, removed to the Conciergenie (1793), condemned to death, and ended her troubled life on the scaffold. Cleopatra, born 69 D.C., was the daughter of one of the Ptolemys, by whose will she became joint ruler of Egypt with her brother Dionysius. Dionyslue disallowed her claim, a civil war began, and in the year 48 B.C. Julius Censer appeared on the scene to settle the affair. The Alexandrian war was the result; Dionysins was killed, and Cleopatra and her younger brother became joint rulers. After the murder of Ciesar, she was in doubt which side (Antony or Brutus and Cassius) to take, but, being summoned by Antony to Tarsus, she became his ally, while he became her slave. Youn,, Ptolemy she got rid of by poison. From the first day he saw her the commencement of Antony's misfortunes may be dated. Thoroughly demoralised, he gave himself up wholly to sensual pleasures; he deserted his wife, the sister of his powerful coadjutor Octavianus, and got so much out of favour with the Romans that war was declared against him and Cleopatra. Then came the great sea fight of Actium, 31 Lc., at which Cleopatra distinguished herself by taking flight with 60 ships, followed by the infatuated Antony, who thus actually gave away the victory, for his men were not outmatchei till after his flight. Octavianns followed deliberately, and Cleopatra attempted to institute a treacherous intrigue with him. Antony, hearing of this, vowed vengeance ; then, a report getting abroad that she had killed herself, he fell on his sword and died. Finally, her efforts on the heart of Octavianus having proved futile, she put an asp on her arm, and only her lifeless corpse awaited the conqueror when he made his triumphal entry, ex. 30. Flora Mftedonald, a Soottish heroine. distinguished herself by her loyalty to the ruined Stuart cause, risking her own life to conceal Charles Edward, the " Young Pretender," at a time when £30,000 was set as the price of his bead, and ceasing her exertions only when he was safely landed in France. She died in 1790, two years after Charles.