fhould be cried down, and that only a fort of money made of iron fhould be current, whereof a great weight and quantity was but very little worth: fo that to lay up ten Minæ, there was required a pretty large clofet, and to remove it, nothing less than a yoke of oxen. By this invention, many vices were banifhed Lacedæmon. For who would rob or cheat another of fuch a fort of coin? Who would receive as a bribe a thing which a man could not conceal, and the poffeffion of which no one envied him? Nay, even when cut in pieces it was of no value; for when it was red hot, they quenched it in vinegar, which rendered it fo hard and brittle as to be unfit for any other use.

'In the next place he banished all ufelefs and fuperfluous arts. But most of thefe would have declined of themfelves, after the prohibition of gold and filver, the money which remained being not fo proper payment for curious pieces of workmanship: nor would it pals among the other Grecians, who were fo far from valuing it, that they despised and ridiculed it. Thus there was no trafficking in any foreign wares, neither did any merchants bring in their goods to any of their ports. Nor were there to be found in Laconia any teachers of rhetoric, any fortune-tellers or magicians, any of those who feed the wanton appetites of youth, any goldimiths, engravers, or jewellers, because there was no money: fo that luxury being by degrees deprived of that which nourished and fupported it, was quite ftarved out, and died away of itself. For the rich had no preeminence here over the poor, and their riches not being allowed to be fhewn in public, neceffarily remained useless at home. Hence the Spartans became excellent artifts in those things which were necessary; fo that bed-fteads, chairs, tables, and fuch like utenfils in a family, were admirably well made there; particularly the Laconic cup, called Cothon, was very much prized by foldiers, as Critias reports; for the colour of the cup hindered the muddiness of the dirty water (which, though shocking to the fight, yet muft upon marches often be drank) from being perceived; and the figure of it was such, that the mud was ftopped by the fwelling of the fides, fo that only the pureft part of the water came to the mouth of him that drank it. And this fkill of theirs was owing to their lawgiver; for the artifans being dif engaged from every thing ufelefs, were at leifure to fhew their utmolt fkill in thofe things which were of daily and indispen fible use..

In order more effectually to fupprefs luxury, and exterminate the defire of riches, he contrived another most excellent inftitution, which was that of public tables, where they were all to eat in common, of the fame meat, and of fuch kinds as were fpe

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specified in the law. They were exprefly forbid to eat at home upon rich couches, and magnificent tables; to fuffer themselves to be pampered by their butchers and cooks, and to fatten in private like voracious beafts. For fuch intemperate gratifications not only corrupt the manners, but enfeeble the bodies of men; so that they need long fleep, hot baths, much reft, and the fame care and attendance as if they were continually fick. It was certainly an extraordinary thing to have brought about fuch an enterprize as this; but a greater yet to have effected, by this eating in common, and ufing a very frugal diet, that their riches fhould be privileged from the hands of rapine, nay rather, as Theophraftus obferves, fhould be utterly degraded, losing almost their very nature, fo as no longer to be the objects of envy. For the rich being obliged to partake of the fame fare with the poor, they could not use or enjoy their riches, nor make a show of them to the world. So that the common proverb, that Plutus is blind, was no where fo literally verified as in Sparta: for there he was kept not only blind, but rather like a mere image, senselefs and motionless. Nor could they take any refreshment in private before they came to the public halls; for every one had an eye upon thofe who did not eat and drink at the common table, and reproached them as luxurious and effeminate.

"The rich men were fo exafperated by this regulation, that they made an infurrection against Lycurgus, and proceeded so far at laft, as to affault him with ftones; fo that he was forced to run out of the affembly, and fly to a temple to fave his life. He out-run all the reft, excepting one Alcander, a young man otherwife not ill difpofed, but very hafty and choleric, who came up fo close to him, that, whilft he turned about to see who was near him, he struck him with a stick, and beat out one of his eyes. Lycurgus, undaunted by this accident, ftopt fhort, and thewed his face ftreaming with blood to his countrymen. They were fo ftrangely furprized and afhamed to fee it, that they immediately delivered Alcander into his hands, to be punifhed as he should think fit, conducting him home with the greatest concern for this ill ufage. Lycurgus having thanked them for their care of his perfon, difmiffed them all, excepting only Alcander. He took him into his house, but neither did nor faid any thing feverely to him; only difmiffing those whole place it was, he ordered Alcander to wait upon him at table. The young man, who was of an ingenuous difpofition, without murmuring or repining, did as he was commanded. Being thus near Lycurgus, and having an opportunity of obferving the natural mildnefs of his temper, his extraordinary fobriety and indefatigable induftry, he became one of his moft zealous admirers, and told his friends and companions, that Lycurgus

was

was not a morose and ill-natured man, but of the sweetest and moft gentle difpofition. And thus did Lycurgus, for chaftifement of his fault, render a wild and paffionate young man, one of the difcreeteft citizens of Sparta.

In memory of this accident, Lycurgus built a temple to Minerva, furnamed Optilete, from a word which in the Doric dialect, used in that country, fignifies the Eyes. But fome authors, of whom Diofcorides is one, who wrote a treatise of the commonwealth of Sparta, fay, that he was wounded, indecd, but did not lose his eye by the blow; and that he dedicated that temple in gratitude for the cure. After this misfortune, the Lacedaemonians never brought a ftaff into their public affemblies.

Their public repafts had feveral names in Greek; for the Cretans called them Andria; the Lacedæmonians called them Phiditia, that is, changing into d, the fame as Philitia, or feafts of love, because by eating and drinking together, they had an opportunity of making friends; or elfe from Pheido, which fignifies parfimony, because they were so many schools of fobriety. But perhaps they were, by the addition of a letter, called Phiditia, inftead of Editia, from a word which fignifies to eat. They met by companies of fifteen, or a few more or less, and each of them was cbliged to bring in monthly a bushel of meal, eight gallons of wine, five pounds of cheese, two, pounds and an half of figs, and a little money to buy flesh and fifh withal. Besides this, when any of them facrificed to the Gods, they always fent a dole to the common hall; and likewife when any one of them had been a hunting, he sent thither a part of the venifon he had killed. It was an allowable excuse for fupping at home, if a man had been facrificing or hunting; in all other cafes he was bound to appear. This cuftom of eating together was observed ftrictly for a great while afterwards; infomuch, that King Agis himself, having vanquished the Athenians, and fending for his commons at his return home, because he defired to eat privately with his Queen, was refused by the Polemarchs; which refufal, when he refented fo much as to omit the next day to offer the facrifice which was customary upon the happy conclufion of a war, they impofed a fine upon him.

They used to fend their children to thefe public tables, as to schools of temperance. Here they were inftructed in political affairs, by the difcourfe of men of dignity and experience. Here they learned to converfe with chearfulness and pleasantry, to jeft without fcurrility, and to take no offence when the raillery was returned. To bear raillery well, was thought a character

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exceedingly becoming a Lacedæmonian; but if any man was uneafy at it, upon the leaft hint given, there was no more to be faid to him. It was customary alfo for the eldest man in the company to fay to each of them, as they came in, pointing to the door, "Not a word faid in this company must go out there." When any one had a defire to be admitted into any of these focieties, he was to go through this manner of probation. Each man of that company took a little ball of foft bread, which he was to throw into a pitcher that a waiter carried round upon his head. Those who liked the perfon proposed to them, dropped their ball into the pitcher without altering the figure; and thofe who difliked him, preffed it flat betwixt their fingers, which fignified as much as a negative voice. If there were but one of thefe flatted pieces found in the pitcher, the candidate was rejected; for they were defirous that all the members of a fociety fhould be perfectly fatisfied with each other.

Their principal dish was a fort of black broth, which was fo much valued, that the elderly men fat by themselves, and fed only upon that, leaving what flesh there was to the younger. They fay, that a certain King of Pontus fent for a Lacedæmonian cook, on purpose to make him fome of this black broth. Upon tafting it, he found it extremely difagreeable; which the cook obferving, faid, "Sir, to make this broth relish, you should have bathed yourself first in the Eurotas." After having drank moderately, every man went home without lights: for they were utterly forbidden to walk with a light, either upon this, or any other occafion, that they might accuftom themselves to march boldly in the dark. And fuch was the order of their common tables.'

By comparing the above fpecimen with the old tranflation, the Reader will fee how far it is altered and improved and the following, from the life of Pericles, will enable him, in fome measure, to judge of the Editor's abilities as a Translator.

The person who was moft converfant with Pericles, and from whom chiefly he acquired that dignity which appeared in his whole addrefs and deportment, and that ftrength and fublimity of fentiment, which gave him fuch an afcendant over the minds of the people, was Anaxagoras the Clazomenian, whom his contemporaries called Nous, or Intelligence, either from admiration of his fkill in philofophy, and his deep infight into nature, or because he was the firft that afcribed the order of the univerfe, not to chance or neceffity, but to the operation and energy of a pure unmixed Intelligence, diftinguishing and feparating the conftituent principles of the various parts of nature, which before were mingled in one confufed mafs.

This Philofopher Pericles held in the highest esteem; and being fully inftructed by him in the sublimeft sciences, acquired not only an elevation of mind and loftiness of ftile, free from all the affectation and buffoonry of the vulgar; but likewise an eafy compofed gait, a gravity of countenance feldom relaxed by laughter, a firm and even tone of voice, together with such a modefty and decency in his dress, that when he spoke in public, even with the greatest vehemence, it was never put into disorder. These things, and others of the like nature, raised admiration in all who faw him.

• Being once reviled and infulted in public, for a whole day together, by an impudent profligate fellow, he made no reply, but continued to difpatch fome important bufinefs, in which he was then employed. In the evening he retired, and went home with great compofure, the other ftill following him, and loading him with the most abufing language. When he arrived at his house, it being then dark, he ordered one of his servants to take a light, and wait on the man home. The poet Ion, indeed, fays that Pericles was haughty and infolent in his behaviour, and that the fenfe he had of his own dignity produced in him an arrogant contempt of others; and he highly extols the civility, complaifance, and politenefs of Cimon. But little regard is due to the judgment of a man who thinks that foftness of manners, and the minute refinements of delicacy, are neceffary to temper the majesty of virtue, juft as the humour of fatirical scenes is to be blended with the folemnity of tragedy. When Zeno heard the gravity of Pericles reprefented as mere pride and oftentation, he advifed those who cenfured it to affume the fame fort of pride themselves; being of opinion, that by counterfeiting what is excellent, a man may be infenfibly led to love and practice it in reality.

But these were not the only advantages which Pericles reaped from the converfation of Anaxagoras. From him he learned to banish those fuperftitious fears which distress the minds of the vulgar, who are terrified when any extraordinary appearances are feen in the heavens, because they are unacquainted with the caufes of them; and who, from their ignorance of religion and the nature of the Gods, are upon fuch occafions tormented with the most extravagant and difmal apprehenfions. For philofophy cures these disorders of the mind, and instead of the terrors and frenzy of superstition, produces a rational and chearful piety.

It is faid, that the head of a ram with only one horn, was once brought to Pericles from his country feat. Lampo the diviner obferving, that the horn grew ftrong and firm out of the middle of the forehead, foretold, that as there were then two

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