some business to Thessaly. Returning to Sparta, he felt himself in disgrace, and put an end to his life.

The Thebans, under the command of Leontiades, hitherto constrained by force, had fought with the Greeks, against the Persians; but, as soon as they saw that the Persians were victorious, when Leonidas and his party retired to the hill, they separated themselves from the Greeks. In the attitude of suppliants, they approached the Barbarians, assuring them, what was really the truth, that they were attached to the Medes; that they had been among the first to render earth and water; that they had only come to Thermopyla on compulsion, and could not be considered as accessary to the slaughter of the king's troops. The Thessalians confirming the truth of what they had asserted, their lives were preserved. Some of them, however, were slain; for, as they approached, the Barbarians put several to the sword; but the greater part, by the order of Xerxes, had the royal marks impressed on them, beginning with Leontiades himself. Eurymachus, his son, was afterwards slain, at the head of four hundred Thebans, by the people of Platææ, while he was making an attempt on their city.

In this manner, the Greeks fought at Thermopyla. Xerxes afterwards sent for Demaratus, and thus addressed him: "I have, already, Demaratus, had experience of your truth and integrity; every thing has happened, as you foretold; tell me, then, how many of the Lacedæmonians may there be left? how many of like valor with those who have perished? or, are they all alike ?" "Sir," replied Demaratus, "the Lacedæmonians are a numerous people, and possessed of many cities; but I will answer your question more particularly. Sparta, itself, contains eight thousand men, all of whom are equal in valor to those who fought here; the other Lacedæmonians, though inferior to these, are still brave." Tell me, then," returned Xerxes, "how we may subdue these men, with least trouble: you, who have been their Prince, must know what measures they are likely to pursue.'

"Since," answered Demaratus, "you place a confidence in my opinion, it is proper that I should speak to

you from the best of my judgement; I would, therefore, recommend you to send a fleet of three hundred vessels to the coast of Lacedæmonia. Contiguous to this, is an island named Cythera, of which Chilon, the wisest of our countrymen, observed, that it would be better for the Spartans, if it were buried in the sea, foreseeing the probability of such a measure as I now recommend. From this island, your troops may spread terror over Sparta. Thus, a war so very near them, may remove from you any apprehension of their assisting the rest of Greece, which will then be open to your arms, and which, if subdued, will leave Sparta hardly able to oppose you. If my advice be disregarded, you may expect what follows. There is a narrow isthmus in the Peloponnesus, in which all its people will assemble, in resistance to your arms, and where you will have far more violent contests to sustain, than you have here experienced. If you execute what I propose, you may, without a battle, become master of the isthmus, with all the cities of the Peloponnesus."

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Achæmenes, the brother of Xerxes, and commander of the fleet, was present at this interview. Fearful that the King might do as he had been advised, he thus delivered his sentiments: "You seem," said he, too much inclined to listen to a man, who either envies your prosperity, or wishes to betray you. It is the character of Greeks, to envy the successful, and to hate their superiors. We have already lost, by shipwreck, four hundred vessels; if we detach three hundred more to the Peloponnesus, the force of our opponents will be equal to our Our united fleet will be far superior to theirs, and, with respect to any efforts they can make, invincible. If your forces by land, and your fleet by sea, advance at the same time, they will be able mutually to assist each other if you separate them, the fleet will not be able to assist you, nor you the fleet. It becomes you to deliberate well on your own affairs, and not to concern yourself about those of your enemies, nor to inquire, where they will commence their hostilities, what measures they will take, or how numerous they are. Let them attend to their affairs, we to ours. If the Lacedæmonians shall.

own.

:

presume to attack the Persians, they will be far from repairing the loss they have already sustained."

"Achæmenes," answered Xerxes, "I approve your counsel, and will follow it. The sentiments of Demaratus are, I well know, dictated by his regard to my interests; but your advice, to me, seems preferable. I cannot be persuaded, that he has any improper intentions, events having proved the wisdom of his former counsels. One man frequently envies the prosperity of another, and indulges in secret sentiments of hatred against him; neither will he, when he requires it, give him salutary advice, unless, indeed, from some surprising effort of virtue; but a friend exults in a friend's happiness; has no sentiments for him but those of the truest kindness, and gives him always the best advice. Let no one, therefore, in future, use any invective against Demaratus, who is my friend."

When Xerxes had finished, he went to view the dead, among whom was Leonidas. When he heard that he had been the Prince, and leader of Sparta, he ordered his head to be cut off, and his body to be suspended on a cross. This incident is no small proof to me, among many others, that Xerxes indulged the warmest indignation against Leonidas, while he was alive. He otherwise would not have treated him, when dead, with such barbarity. I know that the Persians, of all mankind, most · highly honor military virtue. The orders, however, of the King, were executed.

The

I shall now return to the thread of our history. Spartans were the first who were acquainted with the King's designs against Greece; they sent to the oracle, on the occasion, and received the answer I have related. The intelligence was communicated to them in an extraordinary manner. Demaratus, the son of Ariston, had taken refuge among the Medes, and, as there is every reason to suppose, was not friendly to the Spartans. He, however, it was, who informed them of what was meditated, whether to serve or insult them, must be left to conjecture. When Xerxes had resolved on this expedition against Greece, Demaratus, who was at Susa, and ac

quainted with his intentions, determined to inform the Lacedæmonians. As this was both difficult and dangerous, he employed the following means: he took two tablets, and erased the wax from each; then inscribed the purpose of the King on the wood. This done, he replaced the wax, that the several guards, on the road, from seeing the empty tablets, might have no suspicion of the business. When these were delivered at Lacedæmon, the people had no conception of their meaning, till, as Í have been informed, Gorgo, the daughter of Cleomenes, and wife of Leonidas, removed the difficulty. Imagining what might be intended, she ordered the wax to be removed, and thus made the contents of the tablets known. The Lacedæmonians, after examining what was inscribed on the wood, circulated the intelligence through Greece.

THE DEATH OF SOCRATES.

BY PLATO.

PLATO, one of the greatest philosophers of antiquity, was the disciple of Socrates, who died about four hundred years before Christ. The remark, which was made in the introductory lines to the preceding extract, as to the succession of Greek master minds, in history and poetry,-the master kindling a sacred fire in the pupil, who rises to become a master in turn, -applies, likewise, to the philosophy of Greece. Socrates was the master of Plato, or his "mental father," as the sacred books of the Hindoos call the teacher of moral truths. Plato, in like manner, became the master of Aristotle.

When Socrates began to teach at Athens, the Sophists had greatly perverted the cultivation of the intellect, to the serious detriment of the pursuit of truth, and the stability of moral principles. They sharpened the intellect, indeed; but, like a pointed instrument, which may be used for the worst purposes. Right and Wrong, Just and Unjust, Virtuous and Vicious, became, with them, so many technical terms, only designating a degree of convenience or incon venience, according to circumstances. Socrates was the

first, who taught, once more, virtue and purity, as objects worthy of being cultivated for their own sake, and of being made the subjects of the deepest reflection of the acutest mind. With reference to these noble endeavors, and the fact that law and justice must ever look for their original foundation, for their first starting point, to the immutable principles of morality, Lord Mansfield boldly called Socrates the great lawyer of antiquity."*

Socrates taught for many years, at Athens, in the course of which, he had naturally frequent occasion to attack or reprimand error, folly, or vice; nor did he ever hesitate fearlessly to do so, wherever he met with them, whether it was in the powerful and renowned, or the humble and unobserved. This, together with the acute manner in whica he diffused information, by drawing answers from his an

* HOLLIDAY, p. 105.