lofe his caufe, than I my reputation.' Seeing his fon Alexander endeavouring to gain the hearts of the Macedonians, by gifts and rewards, 'Canst thou believe,' fays he,' that a man that thou haft corrupted to thy interefts, will ever be true to them?" When his court would have had him quarrel with and correct the Peloponnenfes for their ingratitude to him, he said, By no means; for if they defpife and abuse me after being kind to them, what will they do if I do them harm?' A great example of patience in a king, and wittily faid. Like to this was his reply to the ambaffadors of Athens, whom afking after audience, if he could do them any fervice, and one of them furlily answering, the beft thou canft do us, is to hang thyfelf: he was nothing disturbed, though his court murmured; but calmly faid to the ambaffador, Thofe who fuffer injuries are better people than those that do them.' To conclude with him: being one day fallen along the ground, and feeing himself in that posture, he cried out, What a small spot of earth do we take up, and yet the whole world cannot content us!"

§. V. Alexander was very temperate and virtuous in his youth, and avoided the woman hiscourtiers flung in his way to debauch him. Nay, he would not fee the wife of Darius, famed for the most beautiful princefs of the age; which, with his other virtues, made Darius, the laft Perfian king, to fay, If God has determined to take my empire from me, I wifh it into the hands of

Alexander, my virtuous enemy.' He hated covetoufnefs, for though he left great conquefts, he left no riches; which made him thus to anfwer one that asked him dying, where he had hid his treasures? Among my friends,' fays he. He was wont to say, he owed more to his mafter for his education, than to his father for his birth; by how much it was less to live, than to live well.

§. VI. Ptolemy, fon of Lagus, being reproached for his mean original, and his friends angry that he did not refent it; We ought,' fays he, to bear reproaches patiently.'

S. VII. Xenophanes being jeered for refufing to play at a forbidden game, anfwered; I do not fear my money, but my reputation: they that make laws, must keep them.' A commendable faying.

§. VIII. Antigonus being taken fick, he said, it was a warning from God to inftruct him of his mortality. A poet flattering him with the title of the Son of God, he answered, ‘My fervant knows the contrary.' Another fycophant telling him, that the will of kings is the rule of juftice: 'No,' faith he rather juftice is the rule of the will of kings' and being preffed by his minions to put a garrifon into Athens, to hold the Greeks in fubjection, he answered, he had not a ftronger garrifon than the affections of his people.'

6. IX. Themiftocles, after all the honour of his life, fits down with this conclufion, That the way to the grave is more desirable than the

way to worldly honours.' His daughter being courted by one of little wit, and great wealth, and another of little wealth and great goodnefs; he chose the poor man for his fon-inlaw: For,' faith he, I will rather have a man without money, than money without a man:' reckoning, that not money, but worth, makes the man. Being told by Symmachus, that he would teach him the art of memory; he gravely answered, he had rather learn the art of forgetfulness: adding, he could remember enough, but many things he could not forget, which were neceffary to be forgotten; as the honours, glories, pleasures, and conquefts he had spent his days in: too apt to transport to vain glory.

§. X. Ariftides, a wife and juft Greek, of greatest honour and truft with the Athenians; he was a great enemy to cabals in government: the reafon he renders is, Becaufe,' faith he, 'I would not be obliged to authorize injustice." He fo much hated covetoufnefs, though he was thrice chofen treasurer of Athens, that he lived and died poor, and that of choice: for being therefore reproached by a rich ufurer, he answered, Thy riches hurt thee more than my poverty hurts me.' Being once banished by a contrary faction in the ftate, he prayed to God, that the affairs of his country might. go fo well, as never to need his return; which however caufed him prefently to be recalled:. whereupon he told them, that he was not troubled for his exile with refpect to himself,

but the honour of his country. Themiftocles, their general, had a project to propose, to render Athens mistress of Greece, but it required fecrecy: the people obliged him to communicate it to Ariftides, whofe judgment they would follow. Ariftides having privately heard it from Themistocles, publicly answered the people, True, there was nothing more advantageous, nor nothing more unjuft:' which quafhed the project.

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§. XI. Pericles, as he mounted the tribunal, prayed to God, that not a word might fall from him, that might fcandalize the people, wrong the public affairs, or hurt his own. One of his friends praying him to fpeak falfely in his favour; We are friends, faith he, but not beyond the altar;' meaning not against religion and truth. Sophocles, being his companion, upon fight of a beautiful woman, faid to Pericles, Ah, what a lovely creature is that!' To whom Pericles replied, It becometh a magiftrate not only to have his hands clean, but his tongue and eyes alfo.'

§. XII. Phocion, a famous Athenian, was honeft and poor, yea, he contemned riches: for a certain governor making rich presents, he returned them; faying, I refufed Alexander's.' And when feveral perfuaded him to accept of fuch bounty, or elfe his children would want, he answered, If my fon be virtuous, I fhall leave him enough; and if he be vicious, more would be too little." He rebuked the excess of the Athenians, and that openly; faying,He that eateth more than

he ought, maketh more diseases than he can cure.' To condemn or flatter him, was to him alike. Demofthenes telling him, whenever the people were enraged, they would kill him, he answered, And thee alfo, when they are come to their wits.' He faid, an orator was like a cypress-tree, fair and great, but fruitlefs. Antipater preffing him to fubmit to his fenfe, he answered, Thou canst not have me for a friend and a flatterer too.' Seeing a man in office to fpeak much, and do little, he afked, how can that man do bufinefs, that is already drunk with talking. After all the great fervices of his life, he was unjustly condemned to die; and going to the place of execution, lamented of the people, one of his enemies fpit in his face; he took it without any diforder of mind, only faying, Take him away.' Before execution, his friends asked him, whether he had nothing to fay to his fon?' 'Yes,' said he, let him not hate my enemies, nor revenge my death: I fee it is better to fleep upon the earth with peace, than with trouble upon the fofteft bed: that he ought to do that which is his duty; and what is more is vanity: that he must not carry two faces that he promise little, but keep his promifes: the world does the contrary."

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§. XIII. Clitomachus had fo great a love to virtue, and practifed it with fuch exactnefs, that if at any time in company he heard wanton or obfcene difcourfe, he was wont to quit the place.

IV. Epaminondas being invited to 2