from that time; and a few days before his death expressed himself thus: "The kings reject my maxims; and since I am no longer useful on the earth, I ought not to regret leaving it." After these words he fell into a lethargy; and, at the end of seven days, expired in the arms of his disciples, in the seventy-third year of his age. Upon the first hearing of his death, the prince, who then reigned in the kingdom of Lou, could not refrain from tears; "God is not satisfied with me," cried he, "since he has taken away Confucius."

Wise and good men are indeed precious gifts, with which heaven blesses the earth; and their worth is seldom justly appreciated till after their decease. Confucius was lamented by the whole empire. He was honoured as a saint; and so high a veneration was entertained for his memory, that it will scarcely ever be effaced in those parts of the world.

SECTION V.

SOCRATES.

SOCRATES, the greatest of the ancient heathen philosophers, was born about 467 years before the Christian era. His sentiments and conduct were. in many respects, very excellent, and command our admiration. He was blessed with extraordinary talents, which were improved by all the learning that the age in which he lived could afford and he appeared at Athens under the respectable character of a good citizen, a true phi losopher, and a wise instructer.

Convinced that philosophy is valuable, not as it furnishes curious questions for the schools, but as it provides men with a law of life, Socrates censured his predecessors for spending all their time in abstruse researches into nature, and taking no pains to render themselves useful to mankind His favourite maxim was, "Whatever is above us, does not concern us." His great object in all his conferences and discourses, was, to lead men into an acquaintance with themselves; to convince them of their errors; to inspire them with the love of virtue; and to furnish them with use

ful moral instructions. In these benevolent labours he was indefatigable. He communicated his instructions not only when he was in the chair, and at set hours of discourse, but even in his amusements; when he was at his meals; in the camp or market; and, finally, when he was in prison: thús making every place a school of virtue.

Through his whole life, this good man discovered a mind superior to the attractions of wealth and power. Contrary to the general practice of the preceptors of his time, he in structed his pupils, without receiving from them any gratuity. He frequently refused rich pre sents. The chief men of Athens were his stewards: they sent him provisions, as they apprehended he wanted them. He took what his present necessities required, and returned the rest. Observing at a particular time, the numerous articles of luxury which were exposed to sale at Athens, he exclaimed: "How many things are here which I do not want!"

His intrepid virtue, and the severity with which he reproved vice, produced the hatred of men whose principles and conduct were the reverse of his own. He was maliciously accused of corrupting the youth, and of despising religion; and was, with singular injustice, condemned to

die. Before the trial, his chief accuser sent him. a private message, assuring him that if he would desist from censuring his conduct, the accusation should be withdrawn. But Socrates refused to comply with so degrading a condition; and, with his usual integrity, replied: "Whilst I live I will never disguise the truth, nor speak otherwise than my duty requires."

After the sentence was passed, he was sent to prison, where he lay in fetters thirty days. In this long interval, with the prospect of death continually before him, he did not cease to enjoy that profound tranquillity of mind, which his friends had always admired in him. He entertained them with the same cheerful temper, which he had ever manifested: and Crito observes, that the evening before his death, he slept as peacefully as at any other time. On the day assigned for him to die, his friends repaired early to the prison. They found him, with his chains off, sitting by his wife, who held one of his children in her arms. As soon as she perceived them, she made the prison resound with her cries. Socrates, that the tranquillity of his last moments might not be disturbed by unavailing lamenta tions, requested that she might be conducted home. With the most frantic expressions of grief she left the prison.

An interesting conversation then passed between Socrates and his friends, which chiefly turned upon the immortality of the soul. In the course of this conversation, he expressed his disapprobation of the practice of suicide; and assured his friends that his chief support, in his present situation, was an expectation, though not unmixed with doubt, of a happy existence after death. "It would be inexcusable in me," said he, "to despise death, if I were not persuaded that it will conduct me into the presence of the gods, who are the most righteous governors, and into the society of just and good men: but I derive confidence from the hope, that something of man remains after death: and that the condition of good men will then be much better than that of the bad."

Towards the close of the day, he retired into an adjoining apartment to bathe; his friends in the mean time, expressing to one another their grief at the prospect of losing so excellent a father, and being left to pass the rest of their days, in the solitary state of orphans. After a short interval, during which he gave some necessary instructions to his domestics, and took his last leave of his children, the attendant of the prison informed him, that the time for drinking the poison was come. The executioner, though