for a father and mother the tender regard, of which we have here fo fine an example from a pagan.

Until Epaminondas's time, two cities had exercifed alternately a kind of empire over all Greece. The juftice and moderation of Sparta had at firft acquired it a diftinguished pre-eminence, which the pride and haughtinefs of its generals, and especially of Paufanias, foon loft it. The Athenians, until the Peloponnefian war, held the first rank, but in a manner scarce difcernible in any other refpect, than their care in acquitting themfelves worthily, and in giving their inferiors juft reafon to believe themfelves their equals. They judg ed at that time, and very juftly, that the true method of commanding, and of continuing their power, was to evidence their fuperiority only by fervices and bene factions. Thofe times, fo glorious for Athens, were of about forty-five years continuance, and they retained a part of that pre-eminence during the twenty-feven years of the Peloponnefian war, which make in all the feventy-two, or feventy-three years, which Demofthenes gives to the duration of their empire: but for this latter fpace of time, the Greeks, difgufted by the haughtiness of Athens, received no laws from that city without reluctance. Hence the Lacedæmonians became again the arbiters of Greece, and continued fo from the time Ly fander made himfelf mafter of Athens, until the first war undertaken by the Athenians after their re-establishment by Conon, to withdraw them felves and the reft of the Greeks from the tyranny of Sparta, which was now grown more infolent than ever. At length, Thebes difputed the fupremacy, and, by the exalted merit of a fingle man, faw itfelf at the head of all Greece. But that glorious condition was of no longcontinuance, and the death of Epaminondas, as we have already obferved, plunged it again into the obfcurity in'

which he found it.

Demofthenes remarks, in the paffage above cited, that the pre-eminence granted voluntarily either to Sparta or Athens, was a pre-eminence of honour, not

• Demɔft. Philip. iii. p. 89.

of

of dominion, and that the intent of Greece was to pre ferve a kind of equality and independence in the other cities. Hence, fays he, when the governing city attempted to afcribe to itself what did not belong to it, and aimed at any innovations contrary to the rules of juftice, and established custom, all the Greeks thought themselves obliged to have recourse to arms, and without any motive of perfonal difcontent, to espouse with ardour the cause of the injured.

I fhall add here another very judicious reflection from Polybius". He attributes the wife conduct of the Athenians, in the times I fpeak of, to the ability of the generals, who were then at the head of their affairs; and he makes ufe of a comparifon, which explains, not unhappily the character of that people. A veffel without a mafter, fays he, is expofed to great dangers, when every one infifts upon its being fteered according to his opinion, and will comply with no other measures. If then a rude ftorm attacks it, the common danger conciliates and unites them; they abandon themselves to the pilot's skill, and all the rowers doing their duty, the ship is faved and in a state of fecurity. But if the tempelt ceafes, and when the weather grows calm again, the difcord of the mariners revives; if they will hearken no longer to the pilot, and fome are for continuing their voyage, whilst others refolve to ftop in the midst of the courfe; if on one fide they loose their fails, and furl them on the other; it often happens, that after having escaped the most violent ftorms, they are fhipwrecked even in the port. This, fays Polybius, is a natural image of the Athenian republic. As long as it fuffered itself to be guided by the wife counfels of an Ariftides, a Themiftocles, a Pericles, it came off victorious from the greatest dangers. But profperity blinded and ruined it; following no longer any thing but caprice, and being become too infolent to be advised or governed, it plunged itfelf into the greateft misfor

SECT. VIII. Death of Evagoras King of Salamin. Nicocles his Son fucceeds him. Admirable Character of that Prince.

THE third year of the 101ft Olympiad, foon after

the Thebans had deftroyed Platea and Thefpiæ, as has been obferved before, Evagoras, king of Salamin in the ifle of Cyprus, of whom much has been said in: the preceding volume, was affaffinated by one of his eunuchs. His fon Nicocles fucceeded him. He had a fine model before him in the perfon of his father: and he feemed to make it his duty to be entirely intent. upon treading in his fteps F. When he took poffeffion; of the throne, he found the public treafures entirely exhaufted, by the great expences his father had been obliged to be at in the long war between him and the king of Perfia. He knew that the generality of princes, upon like occafions, thought every means juft for the re-establishment of their affairs; but for him, he acted upon different principles. In his reign there was no talk of banishment, taxes, and confifcation of estates. The public felicity was his fole object, and justice his favourite virtue. He discharged the debts of the state gradually, not by crufhing the people with exceffive, impofts, but by retrenching all unneceffary expences, and by using a wife economy in the adminiftration of his revenue. “q I am affured," said he, "that no citizen can complain that I have done him the least wrong, and I have the fatisfaction to know, that I have enriched many with an unfparing hand." He believed this kind of vanity, if it be vanity, might be permitted in a prince, and that it was glorious for him to have it in his power to make his fubjects fuch a defiance.

I

He piqued himfelf alfo in particular upon another virtue, which is the more admirable in princes, as very uncommon in their fortune; I mean temperance. It is moft amiable, but very difficult, in an age and a fortune,

A. M. 3630. Ant. J. C. 374. Diod. 1. xv. p. 363. Ifocrat. in Nicol. p. 64. s Ibid. p. 65, 66.

Ibid. p. 67.

to

to which every thing is lawful, and wherein pleasure, armed with all her arts and attractions, is continually lying in ambush for a young prince, and preventing his defires, to make a long resistance against the violence and infinuation of her foft affaults. Nicocles gloried in having never known any woman besides his wife during his reign, and was amazed that all other contracts of civil fociety fhould be treated with due regard, whilft that of marriage, the moft facred and inviolable of obligations, was broke through with impunity; and that men fhould not blush to commit an infidelity in refpect to their wives, of which should their wives be guilty, it would throw them into the utmost anguifh and despair.

What I have faid of the juftice and temperance of Nicocles, Ifocrates puts into that prince's own mouth; and it is not probable that he should make him speak in fuch a manner, if his conduct had not agreed with fuch fentiments. It is in a difcourfe, fuppofed to be addreff. ed by that king to his people, wherein he defcribes to him the duties of fubjects to their princes; love; refpect, obedience, fidelity, and devotion to their fervice; and to engage them more effectually to the difcharge of thofe duties, he does not difdain to give them an account of his own conduct and fentiment's.

In another difcourfe, which precedes this, Ifocrates explains to Nicocles all the duties of the fovereignty, and makes excellent reflections upon that fubject, of which I can repeat here only a very small part. He be gins by telling him that the virtue of private perfons is much better fupported than his own, by the mediocrity of their condition, by the employment and cares infeparable from it, by the misfortunes to which they are frequently expofed, by their diftance from pleafures and luxury, and particularly, by the liberty which their friends and relations have of giving them advice; whereas the generality of princes have none of these advantages. He adds, that a king, who would make himself capable of governing well, ought to avoid an

Ifocrat. ad Nicoc.

idle

idle and inactive life, fhould fet apart a proper time for business and the public affairs, fhould form his council of the most able and experienced perfons in his kingdom, fhould endeavour to make himself as much fuperior to others by his merit and wifdom, as he is by his dignity, and especially acquire the love of his fubjects, and for that purpose love them fincerely, and look upon himself as their common father. "Perfift," faid he, "in the religion you have received from your fore-fathers, but be affured that the most grateful adoration and facrifice that you can offer to the Divinity, is that of the heart, in rendering yourself good and juft. Show, upon all occafions, fo high a regard for truth, that a fingle word from you may be more confided in than the oath of others. Be a warrior, by your ability in military affairs, and by fuch a warlike provifion as may intimidate your enemies; but let your inclinations be pacific, and be rigidly exact in never pretending to, or undertaking any thing unjustly. The only certain proof that you have reigned well, will be the power of bearing this teftimony to yourself; that your people are become both more happy and more wife under your government."

What feems to me the most remarkable in this dif course, is, that the advice which Ifocrates gives the king is neither attended with praises, nor with those ftudied refervations and artificial turns, without which fearful and modeft truth dares not venture to approach the throne. This is moft worthy of applaufe, and more for the prince's than the writer's praife. Nico cles, far from being offended at thefe councils, received them with joy; and to exprefs his gratitude to Ifocrates, made him a prefent of twenty talents, that is to fay; twenty thoufand crowns'.

Plut. in vit. Ifoc. p. 838.

VOL. V.

K

SECT.