"ducated in Pella (then a contemptible and obfcure << place) could poffibly poffefs a foul haughty enough ❝to defire and undertake the conquefts of the Greeks: "But for you, though Athenians, for you who every ce day hear the virtue of your ancestors displayed either "by your orators in the Roftra, or by your actors up"on the ftage; for you, I fay, to carry meannefs of "foul and cowardice fo far as to abandon and make ❝a voluntary furrender of the liberties of Greece to "Philip; no man living will ever be fo audacious as "to make such a strange propofal. "Cenfure me, fchines, for the advice I gave, do "not asperse me for the event: for the fupreme Be❝ing unravels and terminates every thing at pleasure; "whereas we muft judge from the nature of the advice "or opinions themfelves, of him who gives them. If "therefore Philip has been a conqueror, do not impute e ૬. it to me as a crime, fince God difpofed of the victory, ?" and not I. But fhew me what it is that I did not "pursue with an integrity, a vigilance and an indefa"tigable activity, fuperior to my ftrength; fhew me, "that I did not practife all the expedients which hu"man prudence could employ; that I did not in"fpire noble and neceffary refolutions, and fuch as were "worthy of Athens; and after this give a full scope "to to your accufations. But if a fudden thunder-bolt "or a tempeft fhould ftrike you to the ground, gen"tlemen, and not only you, but all the rest of the "Grecians, how can this be helped? Muft the inno"cent be facrificed? If the owner of a vessel had fitted "it out with every thing neceffary, and provided to "the utmoft of his power against the dangers of the sea; " and that a storm should afterwards arife and break "the mafts, would any one in that cafe accuse him "with being the caufe of the fhipwreck? But he "would fay, I did not command the veffel. Nor did "I command the army: I did not difpofe of fortune; cc. on the contrary, it was fortune difpofed of every <<thing. "Since therefore he infifts fo ftrenuously upon events, "I am not afraid of advancing a kind of paradox. "Let none of us, in the name of Jupiter and the "other Gods, be ftartled at the apparent hyperbole, "but let him examine equitably what I am going "to fay. For if all the Athenians had difcovered <future events by a prophetic spirit; that all had fore"seen them, and that you, Æfchines, who did not "fpeak a fingle word, had foretold and certified them "with your thunder-like voice: Athens, even in that «cafe, ought not to have changed its measures, had "it ever fo little regard to its glory, its ancestors, or "the judgment of pofterity. For now Athens feems, "at moft, to be fallen from its greatnefs; a misfor tune common to all mortals, whenever it so pleases "the fupreme Being. But a commonwealth, that "thought itself at that time worthy of a fuperiority "over all the reft of the Greeks, could not part with "fuch a right, without incurring the juft reproach of "delivering them all up to Philip: fince in cafe A"thens had quitted, without a blow, a prerogative " which our ancestors had purchased at all hazards; "how would you, Æfchines, have been covered with "fhame? For most certainly, that shame could not "have reflected either upon the commonwealth or Great God! with what eyes could we "look upon this innumerable multitude which come "from all parts to Athens, if things had been brought t to the low ebb we now see them at, by our fault or • ' upon me. wrong management; had we chosen Philip as the "chief and arbiter of all Greece; had we fuffered "others to hazard a battle without us, in order to "prevent fuch a calamity; efpecially fince we call "ourselves inhabitants of a city, which chofe at all times, rather to brave glorious dangers, than enjoy СС an ignominious fecurity. For what Greek, what "Barbarian, does not know, that the Thebans, and "before them the Lacedæmonians, when arrived at "the meridian of power, and, laftly, the Perfian «King; would have willingly granted the common"wealth, not only the enjoyment of its own poffeffi ons, but likewife every thing it could defire, pro"vided it could have defcended to fubmit, and fuffer any other to govern Greece? But fuch fentiments could not be admitted by Athenians, (as appeared « on thofe occafions) either as hereditary, fupportable or natural. And fince the first foundation of A"thens, none could ever force it to make any abject "fubmiffions to tyrannical power, though fuperior in «ftrength; nor to gain a base security by fervile con<< ceffions. On the contrary, as Athens was in imme"morial poffeffion of fighting for fovereignty, for honour and for glory; fo it has at all times braved the "greatest dangers.... If therefore I should attempt "to infinuate, that my counfels determined you to think like worthy defcendants of your predeceffors, ແ every one might tax me juftly with arrogance. But "I declare in this place, that if you formed fuch re"folutions, the glory of them is yours; and I own, "that the commonwealth had great and magnanimous "fentiments long before my time. The only thing I can boaft of is, that I co-operated in every thing "that fell to my share in the ministry. 66 "By the way, gentlemen, a citizen naturally vir"tuous, (for when I fpeak of myself, I make use of "no other word, to avoid envy) poffeffes these two Сс qualities. A fteady and unfhaken courage in the "exercife of authority, to fupport the common"wealth in its fuperiority; and a zeal that has been "proof against every thing, in every conjuncture and particular action. For these sentiments depend f upce on us, being the gift of nature; but as to force and Сс power, those we derive from other caufes. Now “ certainly, that this zeal was never falfified in me, Сс judge of it by my actions. My zeal for you was never leffened on any occafion, no, not when my "head was demanded; nor when I was delivered up f That was the doctrine of the Stoicks. .cc " " ' * to the Amphyctyons, nor when the greatest efforts were made to ftagger me with threats, nor when 'દ endeavours were used to allure me with promises, nor when these curfed wretches, like so many wild " beafts, were let loose upon me. As to the govern« ment, no fooner had I a share in it, than I followed "the direct and juft methods of preferving the ftrength, glory and prerogatives of my country; augmenting them, and devoting myself entirely to that study. Thus, when I find other powers profper, I am never feen walking in the Forum, with a ferene and « contented afpect, faluting people with my hand, ' and telling good news with a congratulating voice to thofe, who, I believe, will afterwards fend it to Macedonia; nor am I feen trembling, fighing and "with down-caft eyes, upon hearing the fuccefs of "the Athenians, like thofe impious wretches who defame the commonwealth; as though they did not "defame themselves by fuch courfes. They have always their eye abroad, and when they fee any potentate taking advantage of our misfortunes, they magnify his fucceffes, and give out that all endea" vours fhould be used to eternize his victories. แ Immortal Gods! let none of you hear fuch vows as these; but rather rectify the minds and hearts of " fuch perverse men. But if their inveterate malice ❝is incurable, pursue them both by fea and land, and extirpate them totally. As to us Athenians; avert, as foon as poffible, the calamities which threaten us, grant us entire fecurity." The fuccefs of the two orations. Æfchines loft his caufe, and was banifhed for his rash accufation. He fettled at Rhodes, and fet up a school of eloquence, which maintained its glory for feveral ages. He began his lectures with the two orations which had occafioned his banishment. Great encomiums were given to his; but when that of Demofthenes was read, the acclamations were redoubled. & And * And it was upon this occafion he faid, (fo laudable in an enemy and a rival) But how wonderful would you have found it, had you heard it from his own mouth? I did not pretend, that the paffages I have now borrowed from the harangues of Æfchines and Demofthenes, could alone give a juft idea of those two great orators; and for the moft effential part of eloquence, and, as it were, the foul of it, muft neceffarily be wanting in extracts taken from the body of the entire work. We neither fee plan, defign, order, or feries of the oration in thofe extracts; nor the ftrength, connexion or difpofition of the proofs: the marvelous art by which the orator fometimes infinuates himfelf gently into peoples hearts; and sometimes enters with a kind of violence, and makes himself abfolute mafter over them. Besides, no translation can give the Attick purity, eloquence and delicacy, of which the Greek language only is fufceptible, and which Demofthenes had carried to the highest perfection. I had no other view in copying these extracts, but to enable fuch readers as have not ftudied Greek, to form fome idea of the ftile of those two orators. The advantageous judgments which the best writers in all ages have given us of it, will likewife contribute to fhew their character; and may perhaps infpire us with the defire of taking a nearer view of perfons of fuch uncommon merit, of whom so many wonders are related. M. de Tourreil has collected feveral, fome of which I fhall relate in this place. I. The Judgments of the Ancients on Æfchines and Demofthenes. h Quintilian, whofe opinion is no lefs clear than equitable, speaks of them in this manner: "A crowd Valer. Max. lib. 8. c. 20. "of iSequitur oratorum ingens manus..... quorum longè princeps Demofthenes, |