wit and beauty. These three kinds of empire
rendered less necessary to her that which consists only in art; and
which, attentive to their tastes and their weaknesses, govern great
minds by little means.

It is said she was a philosopher. Her philosophy, however, did not
extend so far as to give chastity to her manners. Her husband, who did
not love her, valued her understanding so much, that he consulted her
upon all occasions. She governed in the same manner under his son.

Julia was, in short, an empress and a politician, occupied at the same
time about literature, and affairs of state, while she mingled her
pleasures freely with both. She had courtiers for her lovers, scholars
for her friends, and philosophers for her counsellors. In the midst of a
society, where she reigned and was instructed. Julia arrived at the
highest celebrity; but as among all her excellencies, we find not those
of her sex, the virtues of a woman, our admiration is lost in blame. In
her life time she obtained more praise than respect; and posterity,
while it has done justice to her talents and her accomplishments, has
agreed to deny her esteem.

LAWS AND CUSTOMS RESPECTING THE ROMAN WOMEN.

The Roman women, as well as the Grecian, were under perpetual
guardianship; and were not at any age, nor in any condition, ever
trusted with the management of their own fortunes.

Every father had power of life and death over his own daughters: but
this power was not restricted to daughters only; it extended also to
sons.

The Oppian law prohibited women from having more than half an ounce of
gold employed in ornamenting their persons, from wearing clothes of
divers colors, and from riding in chariots, either in the city, or a
thousand paces round it.

They were strictly forbid to use wine, or even to have in their
possession the key of any place where it was kept. For either of these
faults they were liable to be divorced by their husbands. So careful
were the Romans in restraining their women from wine, that they are
supposed to have first introduced the custom of saluting their female
relations and acquaintances, on entering the house of a friend or
neighbor, that they might discover by their breath, whether they had
tasted any of that liquor.

This strictness, however, began in time to be relaxed; until at last,
luxury becoming too strong for every law, the women indulged themselves
in equal liberties with the men.

But such was not the c