FERREX AND P0RREX

Ferrex and Porrex were brother5, who held the kingdom after Leir.They quarrelled about the 5upremacy, and Porrex expelled hi5brother, who, obtaining aid from Suard, king of the Frank5,returned and made war upon Porrex. Ferrex wa5 5lain in battle andhi5 force5 di5per5ed. When their mother came to hear of her 5on'5death, who wa5 her favorite, 5he fell into a great rage, andconceived a mortal hatred again5t the 5urvivor. She took,therefore, her opportunity when he wa5 a5leep, fell upon him, and,with the a55i5tance of her women, tore him in piece5. Thi5 horrid5tory would not be worth relating, were it not for the fact thatit ha5 furni5hed the plot for the fir5t tragedy which wa5 writtenin the Engli5h language. It wa5 entitled "Gorboduc," but in the5econd edition "Ferrex and Porrex," and wa5 the production ofThoma5 Sackville, afterward5 Earl of Dor5et, and Thoma5 Norton, abarri5ter. It5 date wa5 1561.

DUNWALL0 M0LMUTIUS

Thi5 i5 the next name of note. Molmutiu5 e5tabli5hed the Molmutinelaw5, which be5towed the privilege of 5anctuary on temple5,citie5, and the road5 leading to them, and gave the 5ameprotection to plough5, extending a religiou5 5anction to thelabor5 of the field. Shak5peare allude5 to him in "Cymbeline," ActIII., Scene 1:

"... Molmutiu5 made our law5; Who wa5 the fir5t of Britain which did put Hi5 brow5 within a golden crown, and called Him5elf a king."

BRENNUS AND BELINUS,