The which Cæcilius little understanding, being a man very rash in all his doings, hath unadvisedly written and set forth in print, a comparison of Demosthenes' eloquence with Cicero's. But if it were an easy matter for every man to know himself, then the gods needed have given us no commandment, neither could men have said that it came from Heaven. But for my opinion, me thinks fortune even from the beginning hath framed in manner one self mould of Demosthenes and Cicero, and hath in their natures fashioned many of their qualities one like to the other: as, both of them to be ambitious, both of them to love the liberty of their country, and both of them very fearful in any danger of wars. And likewise their fortunes seem to me, to be both much alike. For it is hard to find two orators again, that being so meanly born as they, have come to be of so great power and authority as they two, nor that have deserved the ill-will of kings and noblemen so much as they have done, nor that have lost their daughters, nor that have been banished their countries, and that have been restored again with honour, and that again have fled, and have been taken again, nor that have ended their lives with the liberty of their country. So that it is hard to be judged, whether nature have made them liker in manners, or fortune in their doings, as if they had both like cunning work-maisters strived one with the other, to whom they should make them best resemble. But first of all we must write of the elder of them two.

Demosthenes the father of this Orator Demosthenes, was as Theopompus writeth, one of the chief men of the city, and they called him Machæropaeus, to wit, a maker of swordblades, because he had a great shop where he kept a number of slaves to forge them. But touching Eschines, the orators report of his mother, who said that she was the daughter of one Gelon (that fled from Athens being accused of treason) and of a barbarous woman that was her mother: I am not able to say whether it be true, or devised of malice to do him despite. Howsoever it was, it is true that his father died, leaving him but seven years old, and left him reasonable well: for his goods came to little less than the value of fifteen talents. Howbeit his guardians did him great wrong: for they stale a

great part of his goods themselves, and did let the rest run to naught, as having little care of it, for they would not pay his schoolmaisters their wages. And this was the cause that he did not learn the liberal sciences which are usually taught unto honest men's sons: and to further that want also, he was but a weakling, and very tender, and therefore his mother would not much let him go to school, neither his maisters also durst keep him too hard to it, because he was but a sickly child at the first, and very weak. And it is reported also, that the surname of Battalus was given him in mockery by other schoolboys his companions, because of his weakness of body. This Battalus (as divers men do report) was an effeminate player on the flute, against whom the poet Antiphanes to mock him, devised a little play. Others also do write of one Battalus, a dissolute orator, and that wrote lascivious verses: and it seemeth that the Athenians at that time did call a certain part of man's body uncomely to be named, Battalus. Now for Argas (which surname men say was also given him) he was so called, either for his rude and beastly manners (because some poets do call a snake Argas) or else for his manner of speech: which was very unpleasant to the ear, for Argas is the name of a poet that made always bawdy and illfavoured songs. But hereof enough, as Plato said. Furthermore, the occasion (as it is reported) that moved him to give himself to eloquence, was this. Callistratus the Orator was to defend the cause of one Oropus before the judges, and every man longed greatly for this day of pleading, both for the excellency of the orator, that then bare the bell for eloquence as for the matter, and his accusation, which was manifestly known to all. Demosthenes hearing his schoolmaisters agree together to go to the hearing of this matter, he prayed his schoolmaster to be so good, as to let him go with him. His maister granted him, and being acquainted with the keepers of the hall door where this matter was to be pleaded, he so intreated them, that they placed their scholar in a very good place, where being set at his ease, he might both hear and see all that was done, and no man could see him. Thereupon when Demosthenes had heard the case pleaded, he was greatly in love with the honour which the orator had

gotten, when he saw how he was waited upon home with such a train of people after him: but yet he wondered more at the force of his great eloquence, that could so turn and convey all things at his pleasure. Thereupon he left the study of all other sciences, and all other exercises of wit and body, which other children are brought up in: and began to labour continually, and to frame himself to make orations, with intent one day to be an orator among the rest. His master that taught him rhetorick was Isæus, notwithstanding that Isócrates also kept a school of rhetorick at that time: either because that being an orphan he was not able to pay the wages that Isocrates demanded of his scholars, which was ten minas: or rather for that he found Isæus' manner of speech more proper for the use of the eloquence he desired, because it was more fine and subtil. Yet Hermippus writeth notwithstanding, that he had read certain books, having no name of any author, which declared that Demosthenes had been Plato's scholar, and that by hearing of him, he learned to frame his pronunciation and eloquence. And he writeth also of one Ctesibius, who reporteth that Demosthenes had secretly read Isocrates' works of rhetorick, and also Alcidamus' books, by means of one Callias Syracusan, and others. Wherefore when he came out of his wardship, he began to put his guardians in suit, and to write orations and pleas against them: who in contrary manner did ever use delays and excuses, to save themselves from giving up any account unto him, of his goods and patrimony left him. And thus, following this exercise (as Thucydides writeth) it prospered so well with him, that in the end he obtained it, but not without great pains and danger and yet with all that he could do, he could not recover all that his father left him, by a good deal. So having now gotten some boldness, and being used also to speak in open presence, and withal, having a feeling and delight of the estimation that is won by eloquence in pleading: afterwards he attempted to put forward himself, and to practise in matters of state. For, as here goeth a tale of one Laomedon an Orchomenian, who having a grievous pain in the spleen, by advice of the physicians was willed to run long courses to help him and that following their order, he became in the

end so lusty and nimble of body, that afterwards he would needs make one to run for games, and indeed grew to be the swiftest runner of all men in his time. Even so the like chanced unto Demosthenes. For at the first, beginning to practise oratory for recovery of his goods, and thereby having gotten good skill and knowledge how to plead: he afterwards took upon him to speak to the people in assemblies, touching the government of the commonwealth, even as if he should have contended for some game of prize, and at length did excel all the orators at that time that got up into the pulpit for orations: notwithstanding that when he first ventured to speak openly, the people made such a noise, that he could scant be heard, and besides they mocked him for his manner of speech that was so strange, because he used so many long confused periods, and his matter he spake of was so intricate with arguments one upon another, that they were tedious, and made men weary to hear him. And furthermore, he had a very soft voice, an impediment in his tongue, and had also a short breath, the which made that men could not well understand what he meant, for his long periods in his oration were oftentimes interrupted, before he was at the end of his sentence. So that at length, perceiving he was thus rejected, he gave over to speak any more before the people, and half in despair withdrew himself into the haven of Piræus. There Eunomus the Thessalian being a very old man, found him, and sharply reproved him, and told him, that he did himself great wrong, considering, that having a manner of speech much like unto Pericles, he drowned himself by his faint heart, because he did not seek the way to be bold against the noise of the common people, and to arm his body to away with the pains and burden of publick orations, but suffering it to grow feebler, for lack of use and practice. Furthermore, being once again repulsed and whistled at, as he returned home, hanging down his head for shame, and utterly discouraged: Satyrus an excellent player of comedies being his familiar friend, followed him, and went and spake with him. Demosthenes made his complaint unto him, that where he had taken more pains than all the orators besides, and had almost even worn himself to the bones with study, yet he could

by no means devise to please the people: whereas other orators that did nothing but bib all day long, and mariners that understood nothing, were quietly heard, and continually occupied the pulpit with orations: and on the other side that they made no account of him. Satyrus then answered him, Thou sayest true, Demosthenes, but care not for this, I will help it straight, and take away the cause of all this: so thou wilt but tell me without book certain verses of Euripides, or of Sophocles. Thereupon Demosthenes presently rehearsed some unto him, that came into his mind. Satyrus repeating them after him, gave them quite another grace, with such a pronunciation, comely gesture, and modest countenance becoming the verses, that Demosthenes thought them clean changed. Whereby perceiving how much the action (to wit, the comely manner and gesture in his oration) doth give grace and comeliness in his pleading: he then thought it but a trifle, and almost nothing to speak of, to exercise to plead well, unless therewithal he do also study to have a good pronunciation and gesture. Thereupon he built him a cellar under the ground, the which was whole even in my time, and he would daily go down into it, to fashion his gesture and pronunciation, and also to exercise his voice, and that with such earnest affection, that oftentimes he would be there two or three moneths one after another, and did shave his head of purpose, because he durst not go abroad in that sort, although his will was good. And yet he took his theme and matter to declaim upon, and to practise to plead of the matters he had had in hand before, or else upon occasion of such talk as he had with them that came to see him, while he kept his house. For they were no sooner gone from him, but he went down into his cellar, and repeated from the first to the last all matters that had passed between him and his friends in talk together, and alleged also both his own and their answers. And if peradventure he had been at the hearing of any long matter, he would repeat it by himself and would finely couch and convey it into proper sentences, and thus change and alter every way any matter that he had heard, or talked with others. Thereof came the opinion men had of him, that he had no very quick capacity by nature, and that his eloquence was not natural, but arti