where an injury done to the meanest subject is an insult upon the whole constitution.

Upon a certain occasion, when Solon was conversing with Anacharsis, the Scythian philosopher, about his intended reformations in the state; "Alas!" cried the Scythian, "all your "laws will be found to resemble spiders' webs; "the weak and small flies will be caught and entangled, but the great and powerful will always have strength enough to break through.' Solon's interview with Croesus, king of Lydia, is still more celebrated. This monarch, who was reputed the richest of all Asia Minor, was willing to make an ostentatious display of his wealth before the Greek philosopher; and, after shewing him immense heaps of treasure, and the greatest variety of other ornaments, he demanded whether he did not think the possessor the most happy of all mankind. No, replied Solon: I know one man more happy; a poor peasant of Greece, who, neither in affluence or poverty, has but few wants, and has learned to supply them with his labour. This answer was by no means agreeable to the vain monarch, who, by his question, only hoped for a reply that would tend to flatter his pride. Willing, therefore, to extort one still more favourable, he asked, whether at least, he did not think him happy? Alas! cried Solon, what man can be pronounced happy before he dies? The integrity and the wisdom of Solon's replies appeared in the event.

The

kingdom of Lydia was invaded by Cyrus, the empire destroyed, and Croesus himself was taken prisoner. When he was led out to execution, according to the barbarous manners of the times, he then, too late, recollected the maxims of Solon, and could not help crying out, when on the scaffold, upon Solon's name. Cyrus hearing him repeat the name with great earnestness, was desirous of knowing the reason; and being informed by Croesus of that philosopher's remarkable observation, he began to fear for himself; pardoned Crosus, and took him for the future into confidence and friendship. Thus Solon had the merit of saving one king's life, and of reforming another.

Such was the man to whom the Athenians applied for assistance in reforming the severity of their government and instituting a just body of laws. Athens was at that time divided into as many factions, as there were different sorts of inhabitants in Attica. Those that lived upon the mountains were fond of exact equality; those that lived in the low country were for the dominion of a few; and those that dwelt on the sea coasts, and were consequently addicted to commerce, were for keeping those parties so exactly balanced, as to permit neither to prevail. But besides these, there was a fourth party, and that by much the most numerous, consisting wholly of the poor, who were grievously harrassed and oppressed by the rich, and loaded with debts which they were not able to discharge. This

unhappy party, which, when they know their own strength, must ever prevail, were now determined to throw off the yoke of their oppres sors, and to chuse themselves a chief, who should make a reformation in government, by making a new division of lands.

As Solon had never sided with either, he was regarded as the refuge of all; the rich liking him because he was rich, and the poor because he was honest. Though he was at first unwilling to undertake so dangerous an employment, he at last suffered himself to be chosen archon, and to be constituted supreme legislator with the unanimous consent of all. This was a situation in which nothing could be added to his power, yet many of the citizens advised him to make himself king, but he had too much wisdom to seek after a name which would render him obnoxious to many of his fellow citizens, while he was, in fact, possessed of more than regal authority. A tyranny, he would say, resembles a fair garden; it is a beautiful spot while we are within, but it wants a way to get out at.

Rejecting, therefore, the wish of royalty, he resolved upon settling a form of government that should be founded on the basis of just and reasonable liberty. Not venturing to meddle with certain disorders which he looked upon as incurable, he undertook to bring about no other alterations but such as were apparently reasonable to the meanest capacity. In short, it was

his aim to give the Athenians not the best of possible constitutions, but the very best they were capable of receiving. His first attempt was, therefore, in favour of the poor, whose debts he abolished at once by an express law of insolvency. But to do this with the least injury he could to the creditor, he raised the value of money in a moderate proportion, by which he nominally increased their riches. But his management on this occasion had like to have had very dangerous consequences; for some of his friends, to whom the scheme had been previously communicated, took up vast sums of money while it was low, in order to be possessed of the difference when it became of greater value. Solon himself was suspected of having a hand in this fraud; but, to wipe off all suspicion, he remitted his debtors five, or, as others say, fifteen talents, and thus regained the confidence of the people.

His next step was to repeal all the laws enacted by Draco, except those against murder. He then proceeded to the regulation of officers, employments, and magistracies, all which he left in the hands of the rich. He distributed the rich citizens into three classes, ranging them according to their incomes. Those that were found to have five hundred measures yearly, as well in corn as liquids, were placed in the first rank; those that had three hundred were placed in the second; and those that had but two hunVOL. I.

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dred made up the third. All the rest of the citizens, whose income fell short of two hundred measures, were comprized in a fourth and last class, and were considered as unqualified for any employment whatever. But to compensate for this exclusion, he gave every private citizen a privilege of voting in the great assembly of the whole body of the state. This, indeed, at first, might appear a concession of small consequence, but it was soon found to contain very solid advantages; for, by the laws of Athens, it was permitted, after the determination of the magistrates, to appeal to the general assembly of the people, and thus, in time, all causes of weight and moment came before them.

In some measure to counteract the influence of a popular assembly, he gave greater weight to the court of Areopagus, and also instituted another council, consisting of four hundred. The Areopagus, so called from the place where the court was held, had been established some centuries before, but Solon restored and augmented its authority. To this court was committed the care of causing the laws to be observed and put in execution. Before his time the citizens of the greatest probity and justice were made judges of that tribunal. Solon was the first who thought it convenient, that none should be honoured with that dignity but such as had passed through the office of archọn. Nothing was so august as this court, and its reputation