first attempt of that kind with success. Agesilaus afterwards pushed that design so far, that he made the great monarch tremble in his palace at Susa. Alexander at last accomplished it with incredible facility. He never had the least doubt, no more than the Macedonians who followed him, or the whole country of Greece that chose him general in that expedition, but that with 30,000 men he could reduce the Persian empire, 300 Spartans having been sufficient to check the united forces of the whole east.

11. The brave will love the brave, and deep revere ; Let freemen honor with a brother's tear That king of freedom and his Spartan band, Who nobly fought to save their native land. No love of conquest urg'd them to invade ; They fought th' invader, and they fell betray'd.

Should foemen fill our country with alarms, Think of Thermopyla, and rouse to arms.

SOCRATES.

1. SOCRATES, the famous Greek philosopher, was born at Athens, about 451 years before Christ. He gave early proofs of his valor in the service of his country; but chiefly applied himself to the study of philosophy, and was a person of irresistible eloquence and accomplished virtue. His distinguishing characteristic was a perfect tranquillity of mind, which enabled him to support, with patience, the most troublesome accidents of life. He used to beg of those with whom he usually conversed, to put him on his guard, the moment they perceived in him the first emotions of anger; and when they did so, he instantly resumed perfect composure and complacency. His wife, Xantippe, a woman of the most whimsical and provoking temper, afforded him sufficient opportunity of exercising his patience, by the revilings and abuse with which she was constantly loading him..

2. Socrates possessed, in a superior degree, the talent of reasoning. His principal employment was the instruction

Where and when was Socrates born?

of youth, an object to which he directed all his care and attention. He kept, however, no fixed public school, but took every opportunity, without regarding times or places, of conveying to them his precepts, and that in the most enticing, agreeable manner. His lessons were so universally relished, that the moment he appeared, whether in the public assemblies, walks, or feasts, he was surrounded with a throng of the most illustrious scholars and hearers. The young Athenians quitted even their pleasures to listen to the discourse of Socrates.

3. He greatly exerted himself against the power of the thirty tyrants, and in the behalf of Theramenes, whom they had condemned to death; insomuch that they became so alarmed at his behavior, that they forbade him to instruct the Athenian youth. Soon after, an accusation was formally exhibited against him by Melitus, containing in substance "That he did not acknowledge the gods of the republic, but introduced new deities in their room;" and further, "that he corrupted the youth." He urged, in his defence, that he had assisted, as others did, at the sacrifices and solemn festivals. He denied his endeavoring to establish any new worship. He owned, indeed, he had received frequent admonitions from a divine voice, which he called his genius, that constantly attended him, and discovered to him future events; that he had often made use of this divine assistance for the service of himself and his friends; but, that if he had been thus particularly favored by Heaven, it was owing chiefly to the regularity of his life and conduct; and that the approbation of the Supreme Being, which was given him as a reward for his virtue, ought not to be objected to him as his crime.

4. Then, as to the other article, wherein he was accused of corrupting the youth, and teaching them to despise the settled laws, and order of the commonwealth, he said, he had no other view in his conversation with them, than to regulate their morals; that as he could not do this with any public authority, he was therefore forced to insinuate himself into their company, and to use, in a manner, the same methods to reclaim, which others did to corrupt them.

5. How far the whole charge affected him, it is not easy to determine. It is certain, that amidst so much zeal and

What were the charges against Socrates?

superstition as then reigned in Athens, he never durst openly oppose the received religion, and was therefore obliged to preserve an outward show of it. But it is very probable, from the discourses he frequently held with his friends, that, in his heart, he despised and laughed at their monstrous opinions, and ridiculous mysteries, as having no other foundation than the fables of the poets; and that he had attained to a notion of the one only true God; insomuch that, upon the account of his belief of the Deity, and his exemplary life, some have thought fit to rank him with Christian philosophers. And indeed his behavior upon his trial was more like that of a christian martyr than of an impious pagan; where he appeared with such a composed confidence, as naturally results from innocence; and rather, as Cicero observes, as if he were to determine upon his judges, than to supplicate them as a criminal.

6. But how slight soever the proofs were against him, the faction was powerful enough to find him guilty. It was a privilege, however, granted him, to demand a mitigation of punishment-to change the condemnation of death, into banishment, imprisonment, or a fine. But he replied generously, that he would choose neither of those punishments, because that would be to acknowledge himself guilty. This answer so incensed his judges, that they determined he should drink the hemlock, a punishment, at that time, much in use among them. Thirty days were allowed him to prepare to die; during which time, he conversed with his friends with the same evenness and serenity of mind he had ever done before. And though they had bribed the jailer for his escape, he refused it, as an ungenerous violation of the laws. He was about seventy years old when he suffered; which made him say, he thought himself happy to quit life, at a time when it begins to be troublesome; and that his death was rather a deliverance than a punishment.

7. Cicero has described, with great elegance, the lofty sentiments and magnanimous behavior of Socrates. While he held the fatal cup in his hand, he declared, that he considered death not as a punishment inflicted on him, but as a help furnished him of arriving so much sooner at heaven.

What privilege was granted Socrates on being found guilty?-How did he reply to this offer?-In what manner did he suffer death?