was thought requifite in a popular govern ment. No fooner was Themiftocles gone into exile, than his friend Paufanias was taken up, for entertaining treafonable defigns against the ftate; and being condemned and put to death for it, fome letters and writings were found in the cabinet of Paufanias, which rendered Themiftocles fufpected. Upon which, officers were fent after him to bring him back, in order to be tried before the great council of the Greeks. But having timely notice of their design, he made his escape, and fled for refuge to Admetus, king of the Moloffians. Notwithstanding he had formerly offended that prince by a rude denial, when he was in the height of his power, yet fearing the prefent hatred of his neighbours and fellow-citizens more than the difpleafure of Admetus, which time might have abated, he chofe to become an humble fuppliant to that king. And this he did in a method different from the cuftom of all other countries. Taking up the fon of Adinetus, who stood by, upon his introduction, he proftrated himself before the king's household gods, with the young prince K 4 prince in his arms; and this being the most facred manner of fupplication among the Moloffians, and which rarely met with a denial, he here received protection for fome time, The wife and children of Themiftocles found means to join him; and a great part of his estate was privately conveyed away by his friends, and fent after him by fea into Afia. Befides the fums fent him, there was difcovered and confifcated, after his departure, to the value of fourfcore talents, whereas before he was concerned in public affairs, he was never worth three. After leaving the court of king Admetus, he arrived at Cuma, where understanding that many were lying in wait for him, the king of Persia having offered, by public proclamation, two hundred talents for taking him, he fled to Eges, a fmall city of the Eolians, where no one knew him, but only his hoft Nicogenes, who was the richest man in Eolia, and well known at the court of Perfia. While Themiftocles lay hid for fome days in his house, one night, after a feast at a sacrifice, crifice, Olivius, fchoolmafter to Nicogenes's children, became frantic, and appearing to be infpired, cried out in verfe, This night inftructs, in myftic dreams and charms, After this, Themiftocles dreamed that a dragon coiled itself round his body, and creeping upward, as foon as he reached his face, was turned into an eagle, which spread his wings over him, took him up, and flew away with him into countries far remote, where a golden fceptre appeared to him, upon which he refted himself fecurely, freed from all fear and trouble. Upon the ftrength of these omens, it was determined, that Themiftocles fhould proceed to the Perfian court; and his friendly hoft made ufe of the following invention to convey him from his house in fafety. He inclofed him in one of thofe close travelling carriages, in which the Perfians, and some of the neighbouring nations, who are extremely 'careful that their wives and concubines should not be seen, convey them from place to place. They hid him in one of these, and pretending to all enquirers, that they were carrying a young Grecian lady out of Ionia, to a no bleman bleman at the court of Perfia, got him in fafety to the capital of that kingdom. When Themistocles arrived there, as he did not chufe to difclofe his name to any one but the king himmelf, it was with no little difficulty that he obtained an audience. Upon being introduced, and having proftrated himself, according to the cuftom of the Perfians, Xerxes commanded the interpreter to afk him who he was. To which he replied, “I am Themistocles, the Athenian, banished and perfecuted by the Greeks; and I fly to thee for refuge, mighty monarch. The evils I have done to the Perfians are easily to be forgiven, in confideration of the many atchievements performed for them, when I hindered the Grecians from purfuing the Medes after the fatal battles of Salamis and Platæa." He then recounted fome other fervices he had rendered the Perfians, and the rigour with which he was perfecuted by his countrymen. After which, he humbly requested of the king, that he would confider the perfecution of the Greeks as a proof of the fervices he had done for Perfia, and make use of this occafion to fhow the world the noblenefs of his virtue, rather than the greatness of his refentment. He He then further related the vifion he had feen at Nicogenes's houfe, and what had formerly been directed to him by the oracle of Dodona, whereby Jupiter commanded him to go to him that had a name like his; by which, he said, he understood that he was fent from Jupiter to him, they having both the name of mighty kings; and he knew of no other great facred powers but Jupiter and the Perfian emperor. The king heard what Themistocles faid, with great attention; and though he seemed to admire his understanding and courage, yet he gave him, at that time, no answer. But when he was with his intimate friends, he rejoiced in his great good fortune, and prayed to his god Arimanius, that all his enemies. might ever be of the fame mind with the Greeks, to provoke, abufe, and expel, the bravest men among them. Themistocles expected no very favourable iffue to his application, from the reception he had met with: however, the next morning, the king spoke kindly to him, and, as a proof of his forgivenefs, told him that he was now indebted to him in the fum of two hundred talents; for it was but reafonable that he fhould |