fenfes, he recedeth from God. By chorus, the infinite joy of the bleffed fpirits, their immutable delight, ftiled by Homer, Cesaws (inextinguishable laughter). For what greater pleasure, than to behold the ferene afpect of God, and next him the ideas and forms of all things, more purely and transparently, than fecondarily, in created beings. The Pythagoreans had this diftich, among thofe commonly called the Golden Verses: Rid of this body, if the heavens free You reach, henceforth immortal you fhall be. Who after death, arrive at th' heavenly plain, §. L. SOLON, efteemed, as Thales, one of the Seven Sages of Greece, a noble philofopher, and a law-giver to the Athenians, was fo humble, that he refused to be prince of that people, and voluntarily banished himself, when Pififtratus ufurped the government there; refolving never to out-live the laws and freedom of his country*. He would fay, That to make a government laft, the magistrates must obey the laws, and the people the magiftrates. It was his judgment, that riches brought luxury, and luxury brought tyranny. Being afked by Cræfus, king of Lydia, when feated in his throne, richly clothed, and magnificently attended, if he had ever seen any thing more glorious? He anfwered, Cocks, peacocks, and pheasants; by how much their beauty is natural. These undervaluing expreffions of wife Solon meeting fo pat upon the pride and luxury of Cræfus, they parted: the one defirous of toys and vanities; the other an example and inftructor of true nobility and virtue, that contemned the king's effeminacy. Another time Cræfus asked him, who was the happiest man in the world? expecting he fhould have faid, Cræfus, because the most famous for wealth in those parts; he answered, Tellus; who Plutarch. Herod. though though poor, yet was an honeft and good man, and contented with what he had: that after he had ferved the common-wealth faithfully, and feen his children and grand-children virtuously educated, died for his country in a good old age, and was carried by his children to his gravet. This much displeased Cræfus, but he diffembled it. Whilft Solon recommended the happinefs of Tellus, Cræfus, moved, demanded whom he affigned the next place too, (making no question but himself should be named) Cleobis, faith he, and Bito; brethren that loved well, had a competency, were of great health and strength, moft tender and obedient to their mother, religious of life; who, after facrificing in the temple, fell asleep, and waked no more. Hereat Cræfus, growing angry, Strange! faith he; doth our happiness feem fo defpicable, that thou wilt not rank us equal with private perfons? Solon answered, Doft thou enquire of us about human affairs? knowest thou not, that Divine Providence is fevere, and often full of alteration? Do not we, in procefs of time, fee many things we would not? Aye, and fuffer many things we would not? Count man's life at feventy years, which makes twenty-fix thousand two hundred and fifty and odd days, there is fcarcely one day like another: fo that every one, O Cræfus, is attended with croffes. Thou appeareft to me very rich, and king over many people; but the question thou afkeft, I cannot refolve, till I hear thou haft ended thy days happily; for he that hath much wealth is not happier than he that gets his bread from day to day; unless Providence continue thofe good things, and that he dieth well. In every thing, O king, we must have regard to the end; for man, to whom God difpenfeth worldly good things, he at laft utterly deferts. Solon, after his discourse, not flattering Cræfus, was difmiffed, and accounted unwife, that he neglected the present good, out of regard to the future. Efop, that wrote the Fables, being then at Sardis, fent for thither by + Plutarch. Laert. According to the Athenian account. Cræfus, and much in favour with him, was grieved to fee Solon fo unthankfully dismissed; and said to him, Solon, We must either tell kings nothing at all, or what may please them: No, faith Solon, either nothing at all, or what is best for them. However, it was not long ere Cræfus was of another mind; for, being taken prifoner by Cyrus, the founder of the Perfian monarchy, and by his command fettered and put on a pile of wood to be burned, Cræfus fighed deeply, and cried, O Solon, Solon! Cyrus bid the interpreter afk, on whom he called? He was filent; but at last, preffing him answered, Upon him, whom I defire, above all wealth, to have spoken with all tyrants. This not understood, upon farther importunity he told them, Solon, an Athenian; who long fince, fays he, came to me, and feeing my wealth, defpifed it; befides, what he told me is come to pass: nor did his counfel belong to me alone, but to all mankind, especially those that think themselves happy. Whilft Cræfus faid thus, the fire began to kindle, and the out-parts to be feized by the flame: Cyrus, informed of the interpreters what Cræfus faid, began to be troubled; and knowing himself to be a man, and that to use another, not inferior to himself in wealth, fo feverely, might one day be retaliated, inftantly commanded the fire to be quenched, and Cræfus and his friends to be brought off; whom, ever after, as long as he lived, Cyrus had in great esteem . Thus Solon gained due praife, that of two kings; his advice faved one, and instructed the other. And as it was in Solon's time that Tragical plays were first invented, fo was he moft fevere against them; foreseeing the inconveniences that followed, upon the people's being affected with that novelty of pleasure. It is reported of him, that he went himself to the play, and after it was ended, he went to Thefpis, the great actor, and asked him, If he were not ashamed to tell fo many lies in the face of fo great an auditory? Thespis Herodot. Halicar. answered, answered, as it is now ufual, There is no harm nor fhame to act fuch things in jeft. Solon, ftriking his staff hard upon the ground, replied, But in a fhort time, we who approve of this kind of jeft fhall ufe it in earneft in our common affairs and contracts. In fine, he abfolutely forbad him to teach or act plays: conceiving them deceitful and unprofitable; diverting youth and tradesmen from more neceffary and virtuous employments. He defined them happy, who are competently furnished with their outward callings, that live temperately and honeftly. He would fay, That cities are the common-fhore of wickedness. He affirmed that to be the best family, which got not unjustly, kept not unfaithfully, spent not with repentance. Obferve (faith he) honefty in thy converfation, more ftrictly than an Oath.' Seal words with filence; filence with opportunity. Never lie, but speak the truth. Fly pleasure, for it brings forrow. Advise not the people what is most pleasant, but what is beft. Make not friends in haste, nor haftily part with them. Learn to obey, and thou wilt know how to command. Be arrogant to none; be mild to those that are about thee. Converse not with wicked perfons. Meditate on serious things. Reverence thy parents. Cherish thy friend. Conform to reafon; and in all things take counfel of God. In fine, his two short fentences were thefe, Of nothing Too much; and, Know Thyself *. §. LI. CHILON, another of the wife men of Greece, would fay, That it was the perfection of a man to forefee and prevent mifchiefs. That herein good people. differ from bad ones, their hopes were firm and affured. That God was the great touch-ftone, or rule of mankind. That mens tongues ought not to outrun their judgment. That we ought not to flatter great men, left we exalt them above their merit and ftation; nor to speak hardly of the helpless. They that would govern a state well, must govern their fa Stob. Sent. 3. Clem. Alex. Strom. 1. milies well. He would fay, That a man ought fo to behave himself, that he fall neither into hatred nor difgrace. That that common-wealth is happiest, where the people mind the law more than the lawyers. Men fhould not forget the favours they receive, nor remember those they do. Three things he said were difficult, yet neceffary to be observed, To keep fecrets, forgive injuries, and ufe time well. Speak not ill, (fays he) of thy neighbour. Go flowly to the feasts of thy friends, but fwiftly to their troubles. Speak well of the dead. Shun bufy-bodies. Prefer loss before covetous gain. Defpife not the miferable. If powerful, behave thyfelf mildly, that thou mayest be loved, rather than feared. Order thy house well: bridle thy anger: grafp not at much: make not hafte, neither dote upon any thing below. A prince (faith he) must not take up his time about tranfitory and mortal things; eternal and immortal are fitteft for him. To conclude: he was fo juft in all his actions, that Laertius tells us, he profeffed in his old age, that he had never done any thing contrary to the confcience of an upright man; only, that of one thing he was doubtful, having given sentence against his friend, according to law, he advised his friend to appeal from him (his judge), fo to preserve both his friend and the law. Thus true and tender was confcience in Heathen Chilon. §. LII. PERIANDER (a prince and philofopher too) would fay, That pleasures are mortal, but virtues immortal. In fuccefs, be moderate; in disappointments, patient and prudent. Be alike to thy friends, in profperity and in adverfity. Peace is good; rafhness, dangerous; gain, fordid. Betray not fecrets. Punish the guilty. Reftrain men from fin. They that would rule fafely must be guarded by love, not arms. To conclude, faith he, live worthy of praise, fo wilt thou die bleffed *. §. LIII. BIAS, one of the Seven Wife Men, being in a ftorm with wicked men, who cried mightily to God;" Baart. Suid. Protag. Stob. 2S. Hold |