one fentiment only can arise respecting the conduct of thofe powers, who, pretending injuries which never existed, and affecting the patronage of rights which they neither feel nor understand, could have but one object-amidft the distractions of the British empire, to gratify their own ambition. Succefs, which, fometimes, palliates injuftice, has not, hitherto attended their arms. We have feen your Majefty's enemies driven from India; we have seen their commerce almoft destroyed by the animated exertions of your Majesty's fubjects, in Europe and America; and we are confident, that the vigour of our countrymen will rife, proportioned to every new danger. Thofe who have confpired the ruin of Great Britain, may number her people, her fleets, and her armies; but they know not to estimate the energy of a free nation, united in affection, and ardent in defence of their deareft rights; which, under the bleffing of Providence, we dare to hope, will finally defeat the perfidious defigns of all your Majefty's enemies,

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XXIII.

DAMON AND PYTHIAS.

THEN Damon was fentenced, by Dionyfius

WHEN the tyrant of Syracufe, to die on fuch a day,

he prayed permiflion, to retire, in the interim, to his own country, to fet the affairs of his difconfolate family in order. This the tyrant intended most peremptorily to refufe, by granting it, as he conceived, on the impoffible condition, of his procuring fome one to remain as hoftage for his return, under equal F 2 forfeiture

forfeiture of life. Pythias heard the condition, and did not wait for an application on the part of Damon. He inftantly offered himself to durance, in place of his friend; and Damon was, accordingly, fet at liberty.

THE king, and all his courtiers, were aftonifhed at this action, as they could not account for it, on any allowed principles.- -Self-intereft, in their judgment, was the fole mover of human affairs: and they looked on virtue, friendship, benevolence, love of country, and the like, as terms, invented by the wife, to impofe upon the weak. They, therefore, imputed this act of Pythias to the extravagance of his folly; to the defect of head, merely; and, no way, to any virtue, or good quality of heart.

¿

WHEN the day of the deftined exécution drew near, the tyrant had the curiofity to vifit Pythias in his dungeon. Having reproached him for the romantic ftupidity of his conduct, and rallied him fome time on his madness, in prefuming, that Damon, by his return, would prove as great a fool as himself" My lord," faid Pythias, with a firm voice, and noble afpect," I would it were poffible, that I might suffer a thousands deaths, rather than my friend fhould fail in any article of his honour. He cannot fail therein, my lord. I am as confident of his virtue, as I am of my own existence. But I pray, I befeech the gods, to preferve the life and integrity of my Damon together. Oppofe him, ye winds! prevent the eagerness and impatience of his honourable endeavours! and fuffer him not to arrive, till, by my death, I have redeemed a life, a thousand times of more confequence, of more estimation, than my own; more eftimable to his lovely wife, to his precious little innocents, to his friends, to his country. O! leave me

not

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not to die the worst of deaths in my Damon.” Dionyfius was awed and confounded by the dignity of thefe fentiments, and by the manner (ítill more fentimental) in which they were uttered. He felt his heart ftruck by a flight fenfe of invading truth; but it served, rather to perplex than undeceive him. He hefitated. He would have fpoken. But he looked down and retired in filence.

'}

THE fatal day arrived. Pythias was brought forth; and walked, amidst the guard, with a ferious, but fatisfied air, to the place of execution. Dionyfins: was already there. He was exalted on a moving throne drawn by fix white horfes, and fat penfive and attentive to the demeanour of the prifoner. Pythias came. He vaulted lightly on the scaffold, and, beholding for fome time the apparatus of death, he turned, and, with a pleafing countenance, thus addreffed the affembly." My prayers are heard. The gods are propitious. You know, my friends, that the winds have been contrary until yesterday. Damon could not come: he could not conquer impoffibilities. He will be here to-morrow: and the blood which is fhed to-day, fhall have ranfomed the life of my friend.--O! could I erafe from your bofoms, every doubt, every mean fufpicion, of the honour of the man for whom, I am about to fuffer, I fhould go to my death, even as I would to my bridal. Be it fufficient, in the mean time, that my friend will be found noble--that his truth is unimpeachable that he will speedily approve it that he is now on his way, hurrying on, accufing himfelf, the adverse elements, and the gods. But I haften to prevent his Speed. Executioner, do your office." As he pronounced the laft words, a buzz began to arife among the remoteft of the people. A diftant voice was heard. The crowd caught the words; and, Stop,

F 3

Stop

Stop the execution, was repeated by the whole affembly. A man came at full fpeed. The throng gave way to his approach. He was mounted on a fteed of foam. In an inftant, he was off his horfe, on the fcaffold, and held Pythias ftraitly embraced. "You are fafe," he cried; " you are fafe, my friend, my belovedthe gods be praised, you are fafe! I, now, have nothing but death to fuffer: and I am delivered from the anguish of those reproaches, which I gave myself, for having endangered a life fo much dearer than my own." Pale, and almost speechlefs, in the arms of his Damon, Pythias replied, in broken accents, "Fatal hafte! Cruel impatience! What envious powers have wrought impoffibilities in your favour? But I will not be wholly disappointed.-Since I cannot die to fave, I will not furvive you."

DIONYSIUS, heard, beheld, and confidered all, with aftonishment. His heart was touched: his eyes were opened: and he could no longer refuse his affent to truth, fo inconteftably proved by facts. He defcended from his throne. He afcended the fcaffold. "Live; live; ye incomparable pair!" he exclaimed. "Ye have borne unquestionable teftimony to the exiftence of virtue: and that virtue equally evinces the certainty of the existence of a God, a God, to reward it. Live happy! live renowned! And, O! form me by your precepts, as you have invited me by your example, to be worthy of the participation of fo facred a friendship."

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XXIV.

CALISTHENES'S REPROOF OF CLEON'S FLATTERY TO ALEXANDER.

IF

F the king were prefent, Cleon, there would be no need of my anfwering to what you have just propofed. He would, himself, reprove you, for endeavouring to draw him into an imitation of foreign abfurdities, and for bringing envy upon him by fuch unmanly flattery. As he is abfent, I take upon me to tell you in his name, that no praife is lafting, but what is rational; and that you do what you can, to leffen his glory, inftead of adding to it. Heroes have never, among us, been deified, till after their death. And, whatever may be your way of thinking, Cleon, for my part, I wish the king may not, for many years to come, obtain that honour.

You have mentioned, as precedents of what you propofe, Hercules, and Bacchus. Do you imagine, Cleon, that they were deified over a cup of wine? And are you and I qualified to make gods? Is the king, our fovereign, to receive his divinity from you and me, who are his fubjects? First try your power, whether you can make a king. It is, furely, eafier to make a king, than a god: to give an earthly dominion, than a throne in heaven. I only with, that the gods may have heard, without offence, the arrogant propofal you have made, of adding one to their number; and that they may ftill be fo propitious to us, as to grant the continuance of that fuccefs to our affairs, with which they have hitherto favoured us. For my part, I am not ashamed of my country; nor do I approve of our adopting the rites of foreign natiF 4

ons,