being fo reserved in his discourse, he said, ‘I had rather conform to reafon, than thy covetoufnefs; or, I had rather be covetous of my words than money.'

6

§. XX. Alexandrides hearing an exile complain of his banishment, faith he, Complain of the cause of it, to wit, his deferts, for there is nothing hurtful but vice.' Being asked, why they were fo long in making the procefs of criminals in Lacedæmon, Because,' faith he, when they are once dead, they are past repentance,' This fhews their belief of immortality and eternal bleffedness; and that even poor criminals, through repentance, may

obtain it.

§. XXI. Anaxilas would fay, that the greatest advantage kings had upon other men, was their power of excelling them in good deeds.

f. XXII. Arifton hearing one admire this expreffion, We ought to do good to our friends, and evil to our enemies;' anfwered, 'By no means; we ought to do good to all; to keep our friends, and to gain our enemies. A doctrine the most difficult to flesh and blood, in all the precepts of Christ's fermon upon the mount: nay, not allowed to be his doctrine, but both an eye for an eye, defended against his express command, and oftentimes an eye put out, an estate sequestered, and life taken away, under a fpecious zeal for religion too; as if fin could be chriftened, and impiery entitled to the doctrine of Chrift: 0, will not fuch Heathens rife up in judgment

against our worldly Chriftians in the great day

of God!

§. XXIII. Archidamus alfo, king of Sparta, being asked, who was mafter of Lacedæ. monia; The laws,' faith he, and after them the magistrates. One praifing a musician in his prefence, Ah!' faith he, but when wilt thou praise a good man ?'-Another faying, that man is an excellent mufician: That is all one,' faith he, as if thou wouldst fay, 'there is a good cook:' counting both trades of voluptuoufnefs.-Another promifing him fome excellent wine; I care not,' faith he, "for it will only put my mouth out of tafte to my ordinary liquor;' which it feems was water. Two men chofe him an arbitrator; to accept it, he made them promise to do what he would have them: Then,' faid he, 'ftir not from this place till you have agreed the matter between yourfelves,' which was done.-Dennis, king of Sicily, fending his daughters rich apparel, he forbad them to wear it, faying, 'You will feem to me but the more homely.'-This great man certainly was not of the mind to breed up his children at the exchanges, dancing-schools, and play-houses.

A

§. XXIV. Cleomenes, king of the fame people, would fay, That kings ought to be plea fant; but not to cheapnefs and contempt.' He was fo juft a man in power, that he drove away Demaratus his fellow-king, (for they always had two,) for offering to corrupt him in a caufe before them, Left, faith he, he fhould at

C

tempt others lefs able to refift him, and fo ruin the state.'

§. XXV. Derfyllidas perceiving that Pyrrhus would force a prince upon his countrymen, the Lacedæmonians, whom they lately rejected, toutly oppofed him, faying, 'If thou art god, we fear thee not, because we have done no evil; and if thou art but a man, we are men

§. XXVI. Hippodamus feeing a young man. afhamed, that was caught in bad company, he reproved him fharply, faying, For time to come, keep fuch company as thou needeft not: blufh at.'

§. XXVII. Leonidas, brother to Cleomenes, and a brave man, being offered by Xerxes to be made an emperor of Greece, answered, • I had rather die for my own country, than have an unjust command over other men's.' Adding, Xerxes deceived himself, to think it a virtue to invade the right of other men.'

6

§. XXVIII. Lyfander being asked by a perfon, what was the beft frame of government; That,' fays he, where every man hath according to his deferts.' Though one of the greatest captains that Sparta bred, he had learned by his wifdom to bear perfonal affronts:

Say what thou wilt,' faith he to one that fpoke abufively to him, empty thyself, I fhall bear it.' His daughters were contracted in marriage to fome perfons of quality, but he dying poor, they refused to marry them; upon which the ephori condemned each of them in

a great fum of money, because they preferred money before faith and engagement.

§. XXIX. Paufanias, fon of Cleombrotus, and colleague of Lyfander, beholding, among the Perfian fpoils they took, the coftlinefs of their furniture, faid, It had been much better if they had been worth lefs, and their mafters more.' And after the victory of Platea, having a dinner dreffed according to the Perfian manner, and beholding the magnificence and furniture of the treat; What,' faith he, do these people mean, that live in fuch wealth and luxury, to attack our meanness and poverty.'

.

§. XXX. Theopompus faith, The way to preferve a kingdom, is to embrace the counfel of one's friends, and not to fuffer the meaner fort to be oppreffed.' One making the glory of Sparta to confift in commanding well, he answered, No, it is in knowing how to obey well.' He was of opinion, that great honours hurt a ftate; adding, that time would abolish great, and augment moderate honours among men; meaning, that men should have the reputation they deserve, without flattery and excefs.

A rhetorician, bragging himself of his art, was reproved by a Lacedæmonian; Doft thou call that an art,' faith he, which hath not truth for its object?' Alfo a Lacedæmonian being prefented with an harp after dinner, by a mufical perfon, I do not,' faith he,' know how to play the fool.' Another being asked, what he thought of a poet of the times,

anfwered, Good for nothing but to corrupt youth.' Nor was this only the wisdom and virtue of fome particular perfons, which may be thought to have given light to the dar body of their courts; but their government wa wife and juft, and the people generally obeyed it; making virtue to be true honour, and that honour dearer to them than life.

§. XXXI. Lacedæmonian cuftoms, according to Plutarch, were thefe: They were very temperate in their eating and drinking, their moft delicate difh being a pottage made for the nourishment of ancient people. They taught their children to write and read, to obey the magiftrates, to endure labour, and to be bold in danger the teachers of other fciences were not fo much as admitted in Lacedæmonia.They had but one garment, and that new but once a year. They rarely ufed baths or oil, the custom of thofe parts of the world. Their youth lay in troops upon mats; the boys and girls apart. They accustomed their youth to travel by night without light, to use them not to be afraid.The old governed the young; and thofe of them who obeyed not the aged, were punished. It was a flame not to bear reproof among the youth; and among the aged, matter of punishment not to give it. They made ordinary cheer, on purpose to keep out luxury; holding, that mean fare kept the fpirit free, and the body fit for action. The mufic they ufed was fimple, without art of changings. Their fongs compofed of virtuous deeds of good men, and their harmony mi