you, even first violating the laws of nature, I muft, however, except the unfilled this tender, but imprudent married men, and fuch as have no mother, with regret, for having heirs. Thefe are loaden with retoo early fhewn, in the generations fpect and complaifance; although which were scarce began, the hope another felfish refinement makes of future generations. In fuch a us avoid even the tendereft duties ftate of manners, it will eafily be of humanity; for the most terrible fuppofed, that the few houfes, in difeafes, raging within this capital which the fciences were formerly of the world, have occafioned a cultivated, are now only the recep- ftria prohibition of the leaft comacles of vain and frivolous plea- munication with thofe unhappy fures; fo that in the place of ora- wretches who are infected with tors, and philofophers, nothing is them: and it is now customary, heard from morning till night, not only to think it fufficient, if except the found of flutes, and the fome domeftics be sent to these perairs of the musicians. As to the fons, to enquire of them any parlibraries, they are more fhut up and ticular news, but to oblige the mefmore abandoned than the fepul- fenger to go through long abluchres: dances, accompanied by tions before he can be admitted to wind instruments, are substituted in deliver the answer. How delicate their room; nay, to fo fhameful a length have thefe indignities been carried, that when the famine had rendered it neceffary to fend all foreigners out of the city, the law was rigorously put in execution against every one of thofe ufeful men, who were the inftructors in liberal arts; whilft mimics, ftageplayers, and even three thoufand female dancers, with their whole band of musicians and fingers, were fuffered to remain within the capital. Wherefoever you turn your eyes, you will alfo perceive the women painted, and ridiculously dreffed; thefe tire you more by their continual dancing, than they fatigue themselves; and thefe, had they been married to honeft men, might have fupplied the ftate with an ufeful army of citizens. Rome was once a fure afylum to every individual, who introduced the arts and induftry; but now, a foolish and unaccountable vanity esteems every thing vile and abject, which comes from beyond the Pomarium. thefe men are! and yet, if you invite them to a feaft, or offer them money, they will run for to Spoletum. Such are the manners of the nobility: as to the common people, they generally fpend the night in drinking houfes, or even in the theatres, under thofe booths, the invention of which we owe to Catullus, who first introduced at Rome, thefe far-fetched commodities, which might better have become Capua, than the city of Romulus. Multitudes are intoxicated with a paffion for gaming. Others expofe themfelves, during whole days, to the heat, and the rain, to be the umpires amongst the charioteers, and decide on the events of the Circus. Amidit fuch frivolous engagements, is it poffible that the Romans can ever be reafonably employed? &c. &c." Curious Particulars relating to the ansient Academy and Philofophers of Athens; with fome Account of B 2 the maintained under the more peculiar Manners, Cuftoms, wards filled by Atticus Herodes, &c. of the modern Greek, Tur- and by other eminent and illufkish, and Albanian Inhabitants trious perfons. The number of of that City and its Territory; profeffors was increased by Antonifrom Dr. Chandler's Travels in nus the philofopher, who had ftuGreece. died under Herodes. His ettablishment confifted of thirteen; two Platonifts, as many Peripatetics, Stoics, and Epicureans, with two Rhetoricians and Civilians; and a prefident filed Prefact of the Youth. The ftudent proceeded from the philofopher to the rhetorician, and then to the civilian. A yearly falary of fix hundred aurei or pieces of gold was annexed to each of the philofophical chairs; and ore of a talent to thofe of the civilians. The profeffors, unless appointed by the emperors, were elected after folemn examination by the prin→ cipal magistrates. ATHENS maintained under Platonists, the Romans its reputation for philofophy and eloquence, and continued, though fubdued, the metropolis of learning, the fchool of arts, the centre of tafte and genius. The Gymnafia and the gardens of the philofophers were decorated with the capital works of eminent mafters, and ftill frequented. The fierce warrior was captivated by Greece and fcience, and Athens humanized and polished the conquerors of the world. But Sylla greatly injured the city, by tranfporting to Rome the public library, which had been founded by Pififtratus, carefully augmented by the people, removed by Xerxes into Perfia, and reftored long after by Saleucus Nicanor. The fpirit of learning drooped on the lofs; and the Roman youth, under Tiberius, were fent to ftudy at Marfeilles, instead of Athens. Even there the barbarous Gauls joined in the pursuit of eloquence and philofophy. The fophift, as well as the phyfician, was hired to fettle among them; and the nation was civilized by the Greek city. The emperor Adrian embellished Athens with a noble library, and a new Gymnafium, and re fored fcience to its ancient feat. Lollianus, an Ephefian, was first railed to the high dignity of the fophiftical throne, which was after Education now flourished in all its branches at Athens. The Roman world reforted to its schools, and reputation and riches awaited the able preceptor. The tender mind was duly prepared for the manly Audies of philofophy and eloquence. Age and proficiency were followed by promotion. The youth was advanced into the higher claffes, enrolled with the philofophers, and admitted to their habit. The title of fophift was conferred on him, when mature in years and erudition; and this was an honour fo much affected, that the attainment of it almost furnished an apology for infolent pride and extravagant elation. It was a custom of the mafters to infcribe on marble the names of their fcholars; thofe of Attica ranged under their refpective tribes; and alfo to what About 4681. See Wotton's Hiftory of Rome. London. 1701. p. 106. with the errata and p. 169. demos Some fpecimens of these regifters are preferved in the Oxford collection, and many fragments are yet extant at Athens. demos or borough each belonged. He was hofpitably entertained; and afterwards the ftudents were allowed to attack him with rude or ingenuous difputation, as each was difpofed. This, the relater has furmifed, was intended to mortify conceit, and to render him tractable. He was next to be invefted with the habit. A proceffion in pairs, at equal distances, conducted him through the Agora to a public bath, probably that without Dipylon by the monument of Anthemocritus. An oppofition was feigned on their approach to the door, fome calling out and forbidding his admiffion, fome urging on and knocking. These prevailed. He was introduced into a warm cell, washed, and then clothed with the Tribonium. He was faluted as an equal on his coming out, and re-conducted. No one was fuffered to appear in that drefs at Athens without the permiffion of the Sophifts, and this ceremony, which was attended with confiderable expence. At this period Athens abounded in philofophers. It fwarmed, according to Lucian, with clokes and ftaves and fatchels; you beheld every where a long beard, a book in the left hand, and the walks full of companies, difcourfing and reasoning. The cloke, or Tribonium was the habit-of all the orders. The general colour was dark, but the Cynic wore white, and, with the Stoic, had the folds doubled. One fhoulder was bare; the hair hanging down; the beard unfhaven. The Cynic, with the Stoic and Pythagorean, was flovenly and negligent, his cloke in tatters, his nails long, and his feet naked. The Cynic was armed with a staff, as a defence from dogs or the rabble. The Sophift was adorned with purple, and commonly polished as well in dress and perfon as in manners and language. It behoved the profeffor, as Lucian affirms, to be handfomely clothed, to be fleek and comely, and above all to have a flowing beard, infpiring those who approached him with veneration, and fuitable to the falary he received from the Emperor. A learned father*, who was cotemporary with Julian at Athens, has described the manner in which the Novice was treated on his arrival there, with the ceremony of initiation. He was firft furrounded by the pupils and partizans of the different Sophifts, all eager to recommend their favourite mafter. The philofophers were long as diftinguished by their averfion to Chriflianity as by their garment. It is recorded of Juftin Martyr, that he preached in the Tribonium, to which he had been admitted before his converfion. Some monks alfo, whom the Gentiles termed impoftors, affumed it, uniting with fpiritual pride and confummate vanity, an affectation of fingular humility and of indifference to worldly fhow. But the Emperor Jovian commanding the temples to be fhut, and prohibiting facrifice, the prudent philofopher then concealed kis profeffion, and relinquished his cloak for the common drefs. The * Gregorius Nazianzen. Orat. xx. B 3 order order was treated with feverity by Valens his fucceffor, because fome of them, to animate their party, had foretold that the next emperor would be a Gentile. They were addicted to divination and magic, and it was pretended, had partly difcovered his name. The habit was not wholly laid afide. In the next reign, a fedition happened at Alexandria, when Olympius a philofopher, wearing the cloke, was exceedingly active, urging the Gentiles to repel the reformers, and not to remit of their zeal or be disheartened because they were difpoffeffed of their idols, for the powers, which had inhabited them, were, he afferted, flown away into heaven. The heathen philofophers gradually difappeared; but the Chriftian, their fucceffors, are not yet extinct, ftill flourishing in catholic countries, and differing not lefs than the ancient fects, in drefs, tenets, and rules of living. The decline of philofophy muft have deeply affected the profperity of Athens. A gradual desertion of the place followed. Minerva could no longer protect her city. Its beauty was violated by the proconful, who ftripped Poecile of its precious paintings. It was forfaken by good fortune, and would have lingered in decay, but the Barbarians interpofed, and fuddenly completed its downfall. When the Goths were in poffeffion of it in the time of Claudius, two hundred and fixty-nine years after Christ, they amaffed all the books, intending, it is related, to burn them; but defifted, on a reprefentation that the Greeks were diverted by the amusements of study from military purfeits. Alaric, under Arcadius and Honorius, was not afraid of their becoming fol diers. The city was pillaged, and the libraries were confumed. Devaftation then reigned within, and folitude without its walls. The fweet firens, the vocal nightin. gales, as the Sophifts are fondly ftyled, were heard no more. Philofophy and eloquence were exiled, and their ancient feat occupied by ignorant honey-factors of Mount Hymettus. Athens, after it was abandoned by the Goths, continued, it is likely, for ages to preferve the race of its remaining inhabitants unchanged, and uniform in language and manners. Hiftory is filent of its fuffering from later incurfions, from wars, and maflacres. Plenty and the profpect of advantage produces new fettlers; but, where no trade exifts, employment will be wanting, and Attica was never celebrated for fertility. The plague has not been, as at Smyrna, a frequent vifitant; because the intercourse fubfifting with the islands and other places has been fmall, and the port is at a diftance. The plague defcribed by Thucydides began in the Piræus, and the Athenians at first believed that the enemy had poifoned the wells. If, from inadvertency, the infection be now admitted into the town, the Turks as well as the Greeks have the prudence to retire to their houses in the country, or to the monafteries, and it feldom prevails either fo long or fo terribly as in cities on the coaft. A colony of new proprietors was introduced into Athens by Mahomet the Second; but the people fecured fome privileges by their capitulation, and have fince obtained more more by addrefs or money. The Turk has favoured the fpot, and bestowed on it a milder tyranny. The Killar Aga, or chief of the black eunuchs at Conftantinople, is their patron; and by him the Turkish magiftrates are appointed. The Vaiwode purchases his government yearly, but circumfpection and moderation are requifite in exacting the revenue, and the ufual concomitants of his ftation are uneafincfs, apprehenfion, and danger. The impatience of oppreffion, when general, begets public vengeance. The Turks and their vefials have united, feized and cut their tyrants in pieces, or forced them to feek refuge in the mountains or in the Acropolis. An infurrection had happened not many years before we arrived, and the diftrefs, which followed from want of water in the fortrefs, was defcribed to us as extreme. The Turks of Athens are in general more polite, focial and affable, than is common in that ftately race; living on more equal terms with their fellow citizens, and partaking, in fome degree, of the Greek character. The fame intermixture, which has foftened their austerity, has corrupted their temperance; and many have foregone the national abftinence from wine, drinking freely, except during their Ramazan or Lent. Some too after a long lapfe have re-affumed, and rigidly adhere to it, as fuiting the gravity of a beard, and the decorum of paternal authority. Several of the families date their fettlement from the taking of the city. They are reckoned at about three hundred. Their number, though comparatively fmall, is is more than fufficient to keep the Chriftians fully fenfible of their mastery. The Turks poffefs from their childhood an habitual fuperiority, and awe with a look the loftieft vaffal. Their deportment is often ftern and haughty. Many in private life are diftinguished by ftrict honour, by punctuality, and uprightnefs in their dealings; and almost all by external fanctity of manners. If they are narrowminded in the extreme, it is the refult of a confined education; and an avaricious temper is a natural confequence of their rapacious government. mere The Greeks may be regarded as the reprefentatives of the old Athenians. We have related, that, on our arrival in the Piræus, an Archon came from the city to receive us. The learned reader was perhaps touched by that refpectable title, and annexed to it fome portion of its claffical importance; but the Archons are now names, except a tall fur-cap, and a fuller and better drefs than is worn by the inferior claffes. Some have fhops in the Bazar, fome are merchants, or farmers of the public revenue. The families ftyled Archontic, are eight or ten in number; moly on the decline. The perfon, who met us, was of one reckoned very ancient, which, by his account, had been fettled at Athens about three hundred years, or after Mahomet the Second. His pat imony had fuffered from the extortions of a tyrannical Vaiwode, but he had repaired the lofs by trade, and by renting petty governments. The ordinary habit of the meaner citizens is a red fkull cap, a jacket, and a fash round the middle, loofe breeches or trowfers, which tie with a large B 4 knot |