of right aswell by my selfe alone as when I am with others and I will euermore honor the religion of my Countrie The Goddes be they my witnesse of these my sayings This Othe was solemnely giuen to yong men being in armour in the Church of their God at eyghteene yeares of their age and hauing thus sworne they continued alwayes ready to serue for .xlij. yeares after so that they weare fully three score yeare olde before they were discharged of their Othe and seruice to their Countrie for the warres And such loue did these people beare to their Countrie that all their sacrifices and Church religion tended onely to the long preseruation and good welfare of their state Such care had these heathen people to the prosperous safegarde of their Nation much to the shame and confusion of all these in our dayes that are common traytors and open Rebels to their naturall soyle and Countrie The Description of Athens AThens hauing hir name from Minerua who was called otherwise Athene being somtimes the Paradise of Gréece yea the Gréece of Gréece as Thucidides sayd the mart of learning the nurse of knowledge the mother of Orators the fosterdame of Philosophers and Poetes and the verye Palace or dwelling place of the Gods themselues to harbowre in as some did tearme it the same Citie hath felt in continuance of time much of fortunes frowning not onely by the Persians the Macedonians and the Peloponnesians now called the people of Morea but also by the Romaines diuers times and after that by the Gaules and last of all by the great Turke who is now Lorde and ruler there ouer all And to speake amongst others of the Gaules you shall vnderstande that when they were driuen from Constantinople and lost their seate in the East they came backe to Athens and planted their seate there and in the countrie of Morea tyll translating themselues from thense to Naples the same Citie came to the handes of a Florentine of the house of Acciolai in the tyme of Quéene Ioan of Naples that notorious lewde Ladie for hir wickednesse and euill lyfe known throughout the world to hir shame for euer The which Florentine séeking ayde of the Christians to kéepe it still and not finding any helpe he was driuen by fine force at the last to giue ouer his right interest and tytle to the great Turke about a hundreth yeares by past So that now it is a very meane village and a poore fisher Towne hauing scant the name left of it called after a barbarous and corrupt maner of speach Sathines in steade of Athens nothing now extant of so famous a Citie sauing that vpon the rocke where the Church of Minerua was builded there is a mighty pile or fortresse of maine puissance and strength Such is the course of this worlde that nothing kéepeth any long continuance but as our bodies are naturally subiect to alteration so haue all states and common weales in this worlde their naturall ages and chaunges to teache vs the rather to fasten our mindes wholy vpon heauen and to dedicate our selues to God alone And as Gréece was the midst of the worlde and the countrie Attica the midst of all Gréece so was Athens the verye heart of all Attica as well for the situation of the soyle as for the myndes and disposition of the men The people whereof as Plutarchus writeth were very soone stirred to anger and yet very easily moued to mercie rather enclined to suspicion than giuen to heare any long information or report made of things and as they weare readie to helpe the poore afflicted sort so did they gladlye delyte in sportes and pastymes And being praysed by others they tooke pleasure in it againe being rebuked they were not greatly discontented A people much feared euen of the greatest Princes being notwithstanding very curteous and gentle to their greatest enimies And touching the Countrie Attica and the soyle thereof Plato sayth in his dialogues Timeo and Menexemo that the same was verye apt to bring forth most freshe and excellent wittes the which riseth by reason of the temperature of the ayre being of a verye moderate heate and moysture the Countrie standing in .42 degrées from the equinoctiall This Citie was builded in the middest betwyxt the Temple of Diana and the famous Church of Ceres in the Citie Eleusine next vnto the which is that great mountaine called Eron Vpon the north side of Athens runneth the riuer Asopus and vpon the South side the sea called Mare Aegeum now Arcipelagus by name The verie situation declared the maiestie of this Citie as the whiche was the common harborowe or safe receyte of all Gréeceland to flie vnto for succor in their greatest extremities and miseries of warre lying Eastwarde in such sort that it séemed to offer receyte by stretching out hir arme Yea their hauen or péere earst called Pyraeeus now Lion did after a sort appeare to open hir lappe to harbowre succourlesse straungers being a hauen both verye safe to enter to it and a sure harbowre to ride in it against all weather and daunger that might happen They had another hauen set beyond the temple of Diana somewhat out of the Citie called the port Munichia standing East froÌ„ Athens where was a little pretie towne marueylous strongly fensed the hauen thereof being an harbowre or receyte of foure hundreth Gallies at the least yea so many Gallies the Athenians many times vsed to set forth in their warres It is written furthermore that Pericles that worthie Gouernour of Athens in his time caused thrée score new Gallies yearely to be made for a certaine space of the Cities charge These two hauens weare fortified with a notable wall of huge square frée stone so strong and so thicke therewithall that two Cartes might méete one another and go and come from eyther of the hauens to the Citie And it is further sayde that Munichia compassed within hir boundes both the hauen Pyraeeum and also that notable Arsinall made by Philo that excellent Architect or Maister builder the which was such a péece of worke for charges and beautie as the lyke was not againe to be séene in all the worlde Of this Munichia one Epimenides Phaestiâ—s when he came to Athens and sawe the perill that Athens was lyke to sustaine by the losse of such a place standing as it did from Athens and of such force warned the Athenians very wisely in thrée Gréeke verses what was néedefull to bée done with it the which verses are to bée englished out of the Gréeke after this sort Had the Athenays wist how great a bayne Munichia vnto their towne shoulde bee As breade with teeth they woulde it eate amayne Meaning that it was good for them to beate downe Munichia to the grounde rather than it shoulde remayne to be a daunger to the Citie And as Epimenides sayde so it fell out afterwards For Antipater in his warre against Athens assone as he had once got Munichia he
tooke the city immediatly after and was Lord ouer all Wherby may appeare that it is oftentimes as harmefull as daungerous a thing to haue a strong fortresse next adioyning to some towne as it is good and auaileable for the defence and strength of the same About this Citie laye the Islandes called Ciclades and Sporades which weare in steade of Suburbes and sporting places for the people of Athens when they were disposed to go abrode the which Citie shined ouer agaynst these Islandes being a great manye in number like as the great bright Moone doth shyne among the little small starres The yearely reuenew of Athens as Budaeus writeth amounted to two hundreth and sixtéene thousande poundes starling the saide reuenewes being called Prytanea And this reckening is made after the rate of money at fiue shyllings the ounce the which is a large and a good reuenew And for the valewing of Talentum Atticum I doe followe Budaeus estéeming still the standerde of their siluer after fiue shillings the ounce and saye that fower Sestertia makes one Drachma and one Drachma or Denarius is .7 d ⅕ and one hundreth Drachmae makes a Mina one Mina or Libra is thrée pounde starling .60 Minae or Librae makes a talent the which is of our English monye .180 poundes starling According wherevnto one Fauinus in Priscian made these verses Cecropium superest post haec docuisse Talentum Sexaginta minas seu vis sex millia Drachmas Quod summum doctis perhibetur pondus Athenis Now of Talents Atticke it restes to shewe the price The which are sixtie Mines or Drachmes .6000 cleare To English poundes nyne score it fully doth arise Thus learned mē haue said this rate greke talents beare The bounding of Greecelande according to Ptolomeus GReecelande adioyneth vppon tvvo great Countries Macedonie and Epirus nowe called Albania stretcheth vnto Peloponnesus called at this present Morea Vppon the west Epirus is the last part of it and northwarde Macedonie doth end it with a part of the sea Aegeum named now Arcipelagus Eastwarde it runneth out to the Promontorie Sunium the farthest part of all Atticke Southwarde it runneth by the riuer Achelous that passeth by Corinth and so endeth in that Isthmus where two seas are within small distance This Gréecelande estéemed all other Countries and people as Barbarians whereas now they themselues are the most barbarous people liuing without learning knowledge or any goodnesse else at all all others heretofore hauing taken light of them for vnderstanding wisedome and good gouernement yea that man was not estéemed to be learned in tymes past that had not studied in Athens And for gouernement other states sought to fetch light of them amongst others the Romaynes did sende out their ten Ambassadors and had their ten Tables from Athens And yet albeit these men did minister examples of vnderstanding and knowledge the Romaines for all that gaue euer more plentifull matter of vertue and good liuing as who shoulde saye the Grecians rather excelled in witte than in worthinesse and coulde speake better than they woulde doe according to that saying Athenienses sciunt quid facere debent sed facere nolunt The Athenians knowe what they ought to doe but that they will not doe Titus Liuius also writeth that the Athenians did warre with king Philip by their writings their words with the which two things only they were famous and counted excellent And truth it is they were a people of great vnderstanding and knowledge inuenting by witte diuers thinges that weare before time hid from man And nowe most gentle Reader thinke that when I was occupied about this worke to make Athens the gouernment thereof to be knowne to my Countrie men my meaning was that euery good subiect according to the leuell of his witte should compare the time past with the time present and euer when he heareth Athens or the Athenians to remember Englande and Englishmen and so all other things in like maner incident therevnto that we maye learne by the doings of our olders howe we may deale in our owne affayres and so through wisedome by our neyghbours example auoyde all harme that else vnwares might happen vnto vs. Bicause Titus Liuius in his fourth decade and first Booke declareth matter much agreeing to the Argument of Demosthenes in fauour of the Olynthians especially for making warres rather in the enimies Countrie than to tarie till the enimy should set vpon the Romaynes I thought good to set foorth the hystorie of P. Sulpitius Consull according as it is reported IT seemes to me O Romaines you doe not know that you are asked not if you will haue warre or peace for king Philip will not suffer you to haue free choyce in this behalfe who warreth vppon you both by sea and by lande but whether you thinke it good to sende your armie into Macedonie or else to receyue the enimie here in Italie Now what difference there is betwixt the one and the other if euer at any other time you haue had proofe certes you haue had manifest experience thereof in these last warres against the Carthagineans For who doubteth but that if wee had in lyke maner sent speedie ayde to the distressed Saguntines when they desired succour of vs as our forefathers did helpe the Mamertynes in lyke case a people of Messana in Scicilia wee had turned the whole warres vpon Spayne the which through our lyngring and foreslowing our affayres we haue brought vpon our owne backs into Italie to our great losse and destruction And there is no doubt of this at all but that whereas this man is agreed with Anniball by his ambassadors and letters sent to come ouer into Italie we shall be able to holde him still in Macedonie by Leuinus meanes whome we haue sent with a Nauie to warre with him in his owne Countrie And that which wee did in those dayes when we had Anniball our enimye in Italy shall we stande in a mamerment nowe to doe when Anniball is cleane banished and the Carthagineans quyte ouorthrowne Let vs tarye on Gods name and suffer king Philip to make proofe of our lythernesse whyle he destroyeth Athens as we taried to suffer Anniball to doe when he destroyed Saguntum He will not be absent fiue monthes from you as Anniball was when he came from Sagunte ▪ but he will be with you within fiue dayes with his whole power in Italy after he hath taken shipping at Corinth I know you will not match Philip wyth Anniball nor yet compare the Macedonians with the Carthagineans And yet surely you will make him equall with Pyrrhus so farre forth I say as eyther one man is better than another or one nation of more value than is another Epirus now called a peece of Albania was euer a small porcion and of little force in comparison of the Macedonians and is at this houre none other Whereas Philip hath all Morea at this present vnder his dominion and the city of
to be kept backe and to lose those sights for want of mony it was ordered that they shoulde haue two halfe pence deliuered vnto them out of the common reuenewes and treasurie to paye for their standings Nowe this custome grewe so great that all the reuenewes of Athens weare altogither consumed and wasted vpon such vnnecessary vses in spending this waye and that waye so that men had the lesse minde to serue their Countrie no money being left in the treasurie nor rewarde remayning for seruice and traueyle to be done eyther at home or abrode For whereas Souldiers and men of warre had their pensions and annuities giuen them before time out of the treasurie for their good seruice done those that taried at home did now consume the same altogither vpon setting forth of those Pageants royall banquets reuels and other such toyes for the peoples comfort pastime and delite And besides this there was a lawe made by Eubulus that none vppon paine of death shoulde giue councell to employe the common treasure otherwise than vpon stage pastymes common feastes and games to the great discouragement of all souldiers and good meaning men that hoped to haue rewarde for good seruice doing And here wee must note by the waye that the custome among the Athenians was to hang vp a Table nigh to the Pulpit or place where the Orator spake conteyning the matters to be entreated of and when that thing should be passed that the Orator perswaded the maner was that the Orator shoulde subscribe to the Table which made a very absolute maner of establishing anye decree among them and was called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to write And when so euer the Orator did presume so to vnder write or set his hande to the Table in capitall causes wherevnto the people when he had done did not giue their consent and agreement which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the which the whole thing being decreed was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a decree theÌ„ shoulde that Orator be in great daunger if his decree did any thing derogate to the lawes or weare in any poynt contrarye to the order of decrees to bee made For which cause Demosthenes being very warie in this behalfe not to wade ouer deepely for feare of displeasure vseth great cunning and sleight both to saue himselfe from harme and to doe his Countrie good for the better employing of this monye perswading that the same Theater monye might better bee conuerted and made Souldiers fees and the contribution to be rather for common profit and honor than for common pleasure and vaine pastime being neuer yet so hardie to vnderwrite the tables for the enacting of any new decree in the matter considering the perill that did depende therevpon if the people did not like it after it was vnderwritten and enacted by the Orator but giues them only to vnderstand that in his opinion the very auncient order was to employ it vpon Souldiers and that this their maner of spending it was but an abuse Last of all he willeth them to sende forth their owne Countrie people and not to vse the onely seruice of Mercinarie foreiners and hyred straungers for that by those meanes they haue heretofore susteyned great losse and hinderance in the chiefe of their affayres And to make this Oration more plaine I will by a diuision somewhat enlarge and iterate my speach for the better vnderstanding of Demosthenes Arte and wisedome Three causes hindred Demosthenes from getting the Athenians to helpe the OOlynthians first that the warre was not domesticall nor proper to Athens but forreyne with the which kinde of warre the Athenians woulde not seeme to deale Againe that they had no monye ready to maintaine these warres Thirdly that King Philip was ouergreat and therfore very daungerous for them to deale withall All these things Demosthenes doth cunningly handle and first sayth that the warres doe appertaine to them bicause it is for their honor vnto the which all men are caried by nature for by this â—â—anes they shall make an entrance to aduaunce that principalitie the which they seke ouer all Greeceland Againe he driueth them through necessitie to take this matter in hande for else King Philip will pierce Athens if the Olynthians be not presently ayded For monye he sayth they haue ynough if they will turne the ydle expenses of the Theater charges to the necessarie paye of the warres Thirdly he weakneth King Philips force by rehearsall of diuers things and deedes in perticularitie And the two especiall points of the whole Oration are these profite and habilitie Proouing by the first with manye reasons that their gaine and honor shall be great therein if they take these warres vpon them by the seconde hee sheweth both what their owne proper force is and what strength the enimy hath whose power he weakneth by all the cunning meanes hee can the rather to harten his Countrie men against him The cunning that Demosthenes vseth in this Oration is very great and not easie for all men to conceyue except they be very attentiue to obserue and followe the order and skilfull handling of this matter And thus I haue bene the longer to dilate this argument bicause I would make it the playner ¶ The first Oration of Demosthenes chiefe Orator in Athens in fauour of the people and Citie of Olynthus in the Countrie of Thracia nowe called Romania against king Philip of Macedonie who sought the distrâ—sse of the sayde people and Citie I Do verily beleeue O Athenians you had rather thaÌ„ a great deale of money you were wel assured and out of all doubt what thing were best for the good estate welfare of the Citie in those matters which you do presently consult vpoÌ„ And séeing it is so it is reasoÌ„ you should gladly giue theÌ„ the hearing that are willing to giue you their councel Neither if one come forth with some good matter studied for prepared before hand ought you to giue eare to that only take it in good part but I take it to be a péece of your good luck that many a néedefull poynt should come into some mans head vpon the sodaine to speake of So shall it be no hard matter for you out of them all to vse choyse of the best and most profitable Wherefore O Athenians this present time euen verie now warneth vs with open mouth to go in hand with those affayres our selues if you haue any regard of your own safetie Marrie then what maner of minde we séeme to haue to them I know not Once mine opinion is that there weare an ayde decréed vpon out of hand and the same to be readie with all spéede to the intent the ayde may be of men euen out of this towne and that you commit not the lyke fault nowe as you haue done heretofore And that there weare Ambassadors dispatched both to aduertise them hereof also to
and couetous of lucre that the present estate pleaseth them well ynough and so beastly and so foolishe that they neyther regard nor foresée the time to come Howbeit they that are but of a meane vnderstanding may haue a very effectuall token sample of his deuises and purposes by that which was my chaunce once to tell both to the Messenians and also to the Argians And peraduenture it weare not amisse to tell the selfesame tale nowe agayne to you I pray you quoth I tell me O Messenians howe would the Olynthians haue taken it to haue heard king Philip so euil spokē of in their presence at that time when he gaue and deliuered Anthemunta vnto them a town so greatly desired claymed heretofore by all the kinges of Macedonie or then also when he gaue Potidea vnto them draue out the outpeopled Athenians a people that came from Athens to dwell there and the hatred borne by them against you he tooke vpon himselfe and gaue the profites of the landes to them to enioy thinke you that they woulde haue looked for such miseries as after folowed or would haue beleued him that should haue told it them no vndoubtedly neuer thinke it and yet thus it nowe falleth out saide I that where as they haue had the fruit vse of other mens lands for a very short time they haue since lost most shamefully their owne territories for a long time are fowly put out not as men cōquered only but like men betraied sold among themselues trayterously And to say the truth it is neuer safe for any frée Citie to enter into ouer great familiarity with Tyrants What should I say vnto you of the Thessalians do you think sayd I when he had driuen out their Tyrants and had giuen also vnto them Illiria and Magnesia that they euer would haue looked for the Ten Lordes to rule them as they doe nowe or that he which gaue them Pyla would afterwards haue taken their owne proper reuenues from them Surely they would neuer haue thought it And yet notwithstanding it did so fall out afterwardes as all the world knoweth wherefore sayde I take héede of king Philip with his great giftes and promises and curse you him that hath so often deceyued you and brought you to such afterdeales and if you wise be pray to God you may neuer sée him againe There are diuers deuises said I made for the defence and garding of Cities as Rampires Walles Trenches and such other lyke and all these requires great costs and charges and are the handiworks of man but there is a gard of natures getting common to all wise men that vndoubtedly is good and assured for all degrées of men and most of all for all frée Cities and Commonalties of people against the force of Tyrauntes And what bulwarke or defence might this be euen MISTRVSTFVLNESSE Kéepe this surely and embrace it and so you shall be safe and out of al daūger I pray you what is it you would haue quoth I is it not libertie And do you not sée that euen the verie titles and stiles the which Philippe taketh vpon him are cleane contrarie to libertie for euery king and Tyraunt is an enimie to all libertie and an ouerthrower of all lawes Will not you then sayd I looke about you and take héede least while you séeke to be deliuered from warres you doe finde a mayster of him and bring your selues in bondage The Messenians when they had heard this altho they allowed well ynough of it themselues and had heard many other reasons in my presence by other Ambassadors besides my selfe and of others also when I was gone as it is most likely yet could they not be brought for all that to breake of from king Philip nor once to mistrust his fayre promises And it is no great shame or rebuke for certaine Messenians and Peloponesians if they do a thing contrary to that that reason perswades them to be good for them but to you it soundes marueylously to your dishonour who as well by your owne vnderstanding as by our telling know your selues to be layd for and enuironed round about and that continuing in this slouthfulnesse and nothing doing you shall catch hurt sooner I feare me than you beware of Such is the force of a little fléeting pleasure and ease for a short time more vnto your hurt than is the honor and profite of a long time to come And therefore if you be wise take councell of your selues while you may of your matters you haue to doe Nowe howe and in what maner you shall make your aunswere well and as shall be fit for you that will I tell you Méete it were O Athenians that you caused such to be called before you as brought you the promises whereby you weare induced to make peace I for my part could neuer finde in my hart to take that Ambassage vpon me for reporting of the vntruth or to agree to any such peace And sure I am that you woulde haue desisted from warre had you thought that king Philip after peace concluded with you would haue done these things that he hath done but the tale that was told than was farre otherwise There be others also that are to be called to account and who be they Euen those whom after the conclusion of the peace at my returne from my last Ambassage for taking their othes when I perceyued they wrought wiles and craftes with the Citie I tolde before hande and protested vnto them that so much as in me lay I would neuer agrée to the letting go of the Pyles and the Phoceyans whereto they tolde me againe that it was no marueile if I lyke a water drinker as I was were such a frowarde and péeuishe colericke man. And as for king Philip they sayd he would do according to your desires if he might passe once into Grece He would also fortifie both Thespias and Plateas and cause the Thebanes to forbeare such outrage and wrong dooing to their neighbors as they vse And that he would pierce through Cherronesus vpon his owne charges and deliuer vnto you Euboia and Orope in recompence of Amphipolis For I trust you remember all these promises to haue béene made in this place of audience though you are not the quickest men in the worlde to take a marke of them that haue done you a shrewde turne And that which is too bad a thing to speake of you weare so farre caryed away wyth thys hope that you haue decréed that the ratifying and establishement of thys same peace should also discende vnto your successours and posteritie So farre and so throughly weare you led away and deceyued by these forgers and counterseyters of vntruthes To what ende doe I tell all this and why would I haue these men sent for to come before you I will tell you franckly and boldely the truth so God helpe mée neyther
one a contribution these men would haue none They would haue vs make warre and haue him in a ielousie these would haue vs to be at peace til the enimie were come vpon vs And in like sort I meane of all other things bicause I will not particularly rehearse them all These men tell you the things whereby they may presently please your fantasie the others tolde you that whereby the state might be kept in safetie hereafter not without displeasure and hazard of themselues And last of all the common people they did beare with many things not for fauour nor yet for ignoraunce but as men that constreyned to yéelde vnto the time perceyue themselues altogither vnequally matched The selfesame thing so helpe me God and holidome I doubt much will fall vppon you forasmuch you sée there is nothing in you that is done by aduise and councell And when I sée them that bring you in this taking I doe not tremble and quake at them but I loth them vtterlye For be it of purpose or be it through ignorance once they haue brought the Citie into great hazarde and to a marueilous straite But God forbidde O Athenians that thinges shoulde come to that poynt better it weare to dye ten thousande deathes than by flatterie to serue King Philips humor to the vtter vndoing of them that are the Authors of your welfare A goodly dishe of thankes I promise you that the Oriteynes receyued by yéelding themselues to King Philips friendes and thrusting out of Euphraeus The commons of Eretrians also they are wiselye handled for kéeping back your Ambassadors and yéelding themselues to Clytarchus they are handled like slaues in déede they are whipped and scourged and miserably tormented Oh Lord howe goodlily did he pardon and spare the Olynthians for choosing of Lasthenes to their Captaine of horsemen and erpulsing Apollonides It is a verie follie and the greatest beastlynesse that may bée for men to hope for such things and whereas they take euill councell themselues and are not willing to doe anye thing as is fitte for them to doe but giue eare to them that speake on their enimies side to thinke that they dwell in a Citie of such greatnesse that they can suffer no harme whatsoeuer betide And what a foule shame were this if any mishap fell vpō vs hereafter to say who would ere haue thought it For why God knowes thus and thus we should haue done forsooth and thus we shoulde not haue done The Olynthians shoulde haue now many things to saye the which if they had than foreséene they had not bene vndone as they are So might the Oriteynes So might the Phoceyans and all the reast that are now come to their vndoing But what good would this doe them So long as the shippe is safe whether it be great or small it is méete that both Maister Mariners and euery man in his course doe his best indeuour and be héedefull that no man either witting or vnwares should by any meanes ouerwhelme it but when the sea is once come in then is it in vaine to traueils any longer euen so we also O Athenians so long as we are in good state enioying a puissant Citie of our owne and haue opportunitie and occasions at will while we maintaine and holde our selues in this great dignitie peraduenture there sittes some here amongst vs that haue longed this good while to aske the question what shall we doe Why by Gods grace that will I tell you and enact it my selfe and if you like it you may holde vp your hands to it and passe it Let vs first and foremost and before all others withstand him and defend our selues let vs our galleys our money souldiors be in a readinesse for though all the world would yéeld vnto slauerie and bondage yet vndoubtedly must we fight for our libertie And then I say when we are furnished with all these things and that we haue made the rest of the Grecians priuie thervnto let vs couple and linke in with others dispatch Ambassadors al about to make information thereof to Peloponesus to the Rhodes to Chio yea euen to the king of Persia himselfe For it is not against his profite neyther that we should stoppe this man from conquering all to the intent that if you may bring them to it than they may take such part as we doe as well in the aduentures as in the costs and charges that be requisite And if by this meanes we can not get our purpose yet at the least ye shall driue out the time with him and winne somewhat by delayes And that is a poynt you shall not finde altogither vnprofitable vnto vs considering wée are to make warre against the personne of a man and not against the force of any selfe gouerned state or frée Citie Neyther was that ambassage in vaine that I and that worthie man Polieuctus Hegesippus Clytomachus and Lycurgus with others went in nor yet the complaintes that wée made in traueyling aboute Peloponesus a yeare ago for by that meanes wée made him staye that he coulde neyther enter into Ambracia nor yet inuade Peloponesus And yet I speake not this to the intent that we should call others in our ayde and then we our selues should sit still and be vnwilling to doe anye thing that should do vs good For why it were a very fond part that they who do forslow their owne businesse shoulde say they tooke vpon them the charge ouer other folkes matters and while they doe themselues neglect things present shoulde warne others to beware of things to come No that is not my saying but my meaning is that you should sende money to the souldiours at Cherronesus and do for them as they shal require you in al things besides And that we our selues be in a readinesse and first of all do our parts and after that to call other Grecians vnto vs and assemble them togither and enforme them and aduertise them of all thinges This is the dutie of a Citie that hath such aucthority and estimation as you haue For if you looke that the Calcidians or the Megarians should kéepe Grece and you your selues to shrinke from dooing any businesse you are not well aduised For the worlde goeth well with them if euery one of them maye saue himselfe But it is you that must doe this feate to you haue your Auncestours left this office and purchased it with many a faire and valiaunt aduenture But if euery one will looke to haue his will by sitting still and thinke to doe nothing himselfe first of all he shall be sure to find no bodie will do it for him And afterwards I feare me we shall be enforced our selues to do euery one of vs that we would not doe For had there béene any such they had long agoe shewed their good willes bycause you your selues woulde doe nothing But there are none suche
flatterie hurtfulnesse and guile for the speaker to get money by and to yéeld vp the state of our Citie into our enimies hands Wherefore eyther you must leaue of these condicions of yours or else you must blame no bodie that all things go awrie but your owne selues ¶ Certaine sentences gathered out of certaine seuerall Orations of Demosthenes Ex orat de falsa legatione THat Citie is of no value the which is not of habilitie ynough to punish wrong dooers neyther is that common weale any thing worth at all where pardon and intercession preuayles agaynst lawes Ex orat Amator THe minde of man is his guide in all thinges and the same is onely to bée instructed and trayned vp with knowledge and learning Ex orat Iuneb THe beginning of all vertue is wisedome the ende of vertue is monhoode and courage by the one we learne what to do by the other we preserue and maintaine our selues Ex orat Amator IT is a verye goodly thing for a man euen through fortunes goodnes to be regarded and had in estimation among the noblest and best sort of men but yet a much more goodly thing it is for a man to haue got through his owne vertue and trauaile all maner of reputation and honour for that one which is welfare the vile and naughtie man doth attaine vnto nowe and than but of this other surely no man can euer be partaker sauing he onely that is of an excéeding noble courage and hath a manly heart of his owne Ex orat contra Aristogit ALl men haue Altars of iustice equitie and shamefastnesse And those some haue verie fayre and the most holy euerye man within his owne minde and nature others haue such as be set vp for the common vse of all men but of shamelesnesse of slaundering of forswearing and of vnthankefulnesse was neuer man had any aultar at all Ex orat ad Lept IF all men for verie feare of the lawes would leaue to do any euill and euery man for desire of rewarde would doe his dutie what shoulde let why a countrie should not be verie mightye all men honest and none euill Ex orat contra Aristogi WHatsoeuer thing is goodly and honorable and serues for the ornament and preseruation of states as modest behauiour towardes parents reuerences of yong men towardes their elders and good order all those I saye by the onely ayde and assistance of the law doe preuaile agaynst all wickednesse as agaynst vnshamefastnesse foolehardinesse and vnreuerent behauiour towardes others ¶ These few sentences are set foorth to giue a certaine shew of Demosthenes notable worthines who hath infinit speaches of like sort throughout all his Orations which he vttered with great eloquence and pleasure to the hearers but much more effectually expressed he the same in the whole course of his life as being in déede more famous for his vertuous liuing and constant hartinesse towardes his deare Countrie than for his excellent knowledge and maruellous gift of eloquence wherein neuerthelesse he hath bene thought of all men hitherto to bée the odde man of all the worlde The life and doings of Demosthenes gathered out of Plutarch Suidas Libanius Lucian and others with some discourse vpon certaine things as occasion serueth DEmosthenes being father to Demosthenes the Orator and one of the warde or companie of the Paeanians a felowship so called by addicion or name of that place in the territorie of Atticke from whence they first came as many other cōpanies did to dwell afterwards within the Citie of Athens and to leaue the Countrie was a very honest man and a welthy Citizen called by surname the blade Smith or Cutler for that he had certaine workmen vnder him that made blades and swoordes to be sold for his benifite And albeit his seruants did thus labour vnder him with such handie crafte workes yet was he no worke man himselfe but being a wise and a welthie Citizen was appoynted by the State to be a Trierarchus which is asmuch as Capitaine or Gouernor of some one Galley or Galleys who not onely tooke that office vpon him as a good Surueyor but also did defray of his owne proper cost all the expences and charges belonging to a Galley according to the maner then vsed for the riche men so to doe in fauour of their Countrie their Galleyes being the woodden walles of their Citie as Apollo sayde by his Oracle and so the defence of their State. Now belyke this man and such other as tooke vpon them so great a matter being of so great charge credite and benifite to their Country could not be otherwise estéemed then for the best and most worthie Citizens among the reast Thus much I speake for his degrée and calling notwithstanding he bare the name of a blade Smith to the rebuke of those that can not brooke any to beare aucthoritie in their Countrie that are not Gentlemen borne the which is no thanke to them For so might others haue béene as well as they if their constellation had béene thereafter or rather if God had thought it so conuenient But whatsoeuer he be poore or riche lowe or high craftes man or landed man if he be vertuous and godly hée is a Gentleman And he that can do nothing nor will do nothing eyther is no Gentleman in déede or vnfitly beareth the name of a Gentleman yea vertue onely is the truest and most rightest Nobilitie that is This man had to wife one Cleobula a straunger borne and no Grecian as it was thought who brought him forth a sonne called Demosthenes after hys owne name This Demosthenes the father died in good welth to the value of .2700 pound starling of reuenewes as it should séeme leauing his sonne verie yong and of tender age after him scant seuen yeares olde Wherefore he bequeathed him with those his goodes to thrée executors men of trust named Aphobus Demophon and Therippides who like common executors not only became carelesse of the childes bringing vp but also employed his portion to their owne vse yea they did not so much as pay the teachers for his learning And the Boy being in déede somewhat wéerish and tender of bodie his mother therfore was not willing that he should be ouertrauelled with to great paynes to séeke learning for feare of hindering his health And the Schoolemaysters they cared as little as who cared least how little the childe tooke for his money beyng neyther willed by others to take paynes with the Boy nor yet like to be greatly cōsidered for their paines taking as they thought if perhappes they shoulde haue taken any So that this childe might haue béene lost for want of carefull bringing vp and good héede taking to him if he had not béene better enclined of hys owne nature And for that he was such a milke soppe and so neshe or tender natured childe and so verie a cockney
it was supposed and so to yéelde himselfe to their protection the rest of the Orators perceyuing him a fat clyent weare readie to further him al that they could and perswaded altogither the Athenians to receiue him and to take tuition of him onely Demosthenes woulde none of it but rather caused that he shoulde be sent backe againe and â—adde them take héede that they did not bring warre vpoÌ„ their necks without nede vpoÌ„ vniust cause Within a while after commaundement being giuen that hys money and treasure should be séene and Harpalus perceyuing by Demosthenes eye that he was in loue with a cup of golde of the kinges at the excellent workemanship whereof he sawe him take great maruell he willed Demosthenes to pâ—yse the cup in his hande and to estéeme the weight of it Nowe when Demosthâ—â—â—s had wondered at the massinesse thereof and therefore asâ—ed him what it might way Harpalus smiling vppon him sayd it weigheth vnto you sir xx talents and in déede as soone as it was night he sent him the cup of golde with .xx. talents of money Good was the skil and insight of Harpalus in good sooth to iudge by a mans countenance casting of his eies vpon a cup what his chiefe desire was Neyther did Demosthenes forbeare to take it but being ouercome with that offer as a man would say caught in the net of temptation bare with Harpalus and would not gainsay that he required And therefore gettes him the next day certaine wooll and rollers to fasten handsomely about his necke and so comes into the Counsell house where being desired to stande vp and to saye his minde in this matter he aunswered that he had lost his voyce with a paine in his throte but some merrie conceyted fellowe that smelled the matter sayd that he was not sick of Angina but he was taken the last night with Argentangina that is not with simple Angina but with siluer angina meaning that he was not troubled with the Vvula being a swelling in the throte and called in Gréeke Angina but was corrupted with Argentangina that is his mouth was stopped with money for so the word signifieth vpon the allusion of Angina Now afterwards when euerie bodie perceyued plaine corruption and therefore would not heare him speake for himselfe but weare very angrie with him and in an vprore and murmure for the matter one starts me vp and like a good friendly furtherer of Demosthenes sayde thus what meane you my Maysters will you not heare him speake that hath the golden cup in his throte herevpon they banished Harpalus out of the Citie and fearing least that money should be demaunded of them the which certaine of the Orators had spoyled him of and finely fléeced to themselues they did make diligent search in euery one of their houses sauing where Calâ—cles dwelt into whose house onelye they did forbeare to enter bicause he was lately maryed and had his yong spouse within the house with him Thus when Demosthenes sawe this matter so hotely taken and stomacked in such sort he appealed from them and desired that his matter shoulde be determined by the high Court of the States of Grece called Areopagus that if he weare found faultie he might be punished thereafter Now the Court found him guiltie and condemned him for an offender after he had appeared in open iudgement fined him to pay fiftie talents and to lye in prison also till the money weare payd who for very shame of this offence as it was sayde and for the infirmity of his body being not able to endure emprisonment made an escape whereof partly the kéepers were ignorant and partly they wincked at it And as he was running away not farre from the Citie he met certaine of his contrarie faction whome he woulde gladly haue auoyded but they followed a pace and calling him by name willed him to be of good chéere for that they ment him no harme offering to giue him money to beare his charges Whervpon Demosthenes fetched a great sigh as a man wounded at the verie heart but they comforted him and asked what he ment so to sigh he aunswered and said thus alas my Maysters what other countenaunce maye I shewe than heauinesse that sée my self constrained to leaue that Citie which nourisheth suche good enimies of mine in it as I shall hardly be able to finde the lyke good friendes anye where else And so going his waies he tooke this his banishment very heauily and impaciently casting his eyes manye times vpon Athens And as he went he looked backe verie often vppon the Castell of Pallas in Athens and holding vp his handes sayde with a lowde voyce O holy Pallas souereigne and Ladye of cities why hast thou so great pleasure in thrée such infortunate and vnluckie beastes the night Owle the Dragon and the people The night Owle or the scriche Owle as some call hir being thought the birde of death was dedicated to Pallas for a birde of hir chiefe delight the Dragon also was set vpon hir crest the people weare Pallas dearlings ouer whom she tooke great care who are compared to a monstruous beast with many heades euill fauoredly acquiting those that haue done them most good as they did Socrates Phocion Scipio Demosthenes Tullie and diuers others And this man being wearyed with the malice and vnkinde dealing of the people woulde say many tymes to his familiers that came to sée him I knowe sayes he that he who séekes to beare office and to carie authoritie in his Countrie is euer readie to be enuied threatned maliced slauÌ„dered and to be put in great hazard to lose both goods and life for his labour That if I weare put to choyse whether to dye or to take the aucthoritie of a Counsellor vpon me as I haue done I had rather clearely giue away my life for euer then once to touch the burthen of the state or to open my minde in open audience to the people And good cause he had to be greatly grieued with the people that weare so vnkinde towardes him who loued them so dearely and did so much for them For not onely did he with his councell wisedome and courage aduaunce the welfare of his Countrie but also he was at great charges diuers wayes with them For he made diuers publike feastes to the people of his owne cost a custome vsed amoÌ„g them by such as were able to beare the charges desirous therby to winne fauor He tooke vpon him besides to sée to the maintenaunce of the Temples and priuate buildings in the Citie and therefore was Aedilis as who should say the Guardian of Churches and buildings in the Citie he also looked to the shippes that they wanted nothing but had all their tackell and furniture accordingly He repayred also the walles and ditches of the Citie to his great charge and cost he redéemed captiues and prisoners with his owne proper
money gaue of himselfe verie much to the mariage of poore maydes and orphanes a good and godly déed and besides this serued his Countrie in forraine Ambassages at all tymes when he was commaunded and deuised good and wholsome lawes from tyme to time for maintenaunce of the state All this notwithstanding he was cleane out of fauor for committing one bare offence in taking the cuppe of golde as a gift from Harpalus that fled from Alexander and forbearing onely to speake against him whereas others that haue neuer done any good at all but rather much euill are neuer dealt withall nor so much sayd vnto them as black is their eye And yet touching this cup Pausanias a Gréeke Author wryteth that hée had no such cuppe at all but was slaundered by his enimies of briberie through false accusation condemned as afterwardes vpon his retourne and better tryall it fell out in proufe But what can not the malice of wicked men procure Wherein I note by the way that the best and worthiest men are nighest their owne destruction and none other in so great perill though they offende neuer so much as those are that liue most vprightlye in aucthoritie and are the chiefest fauourers of their Countries welfare So that vertue is harmefull to some if they excéede the common sort of men in well doing and therefore they had in Athens a certaine kinde of banishment called Ostracismus by the which they banished them that weare in the greatest fauour with the people for their vertue and godlynesse of lyfe fearing least such excellent worthinesse shoulde bring them to be chosen as supréeme and sole Gouernours ouer all the rest And thus this man still continuing in his banishment worde came vnto him in the Isle Calauria before Troezene where he lay that Alexander was dead Where vpon the Grecians began to hast themselues togither and one Leosthenes taking the matter stoutely vpon him beset Antipater Alexanders successor so round as if he had enclosed him within a wall At what time Pythias and Collimedon béeing men banished from Athens tooke part with Antipater and laboured the fauour and defence of Macedonie ioyning themselues with his Ambassadors and friendes and warned the Grecians not to reuolt frō Antipater nor yet to confederate themselues with Athens Which Demosthenes vnderstanding he also prepares to lincke himselfe with the Ambassadors of Athens and deuises all the wayes he can to perswade the Grecians to driue whole flockes of the Macedonians cleane out of Grece And while the matter stoode at this poynt it happened that Demosthenes and Pytheas met togither betwéene whome there fell such scoulding so openly and with such inuectiues the one against the other Pytheas for the Macedonians and Demosthenes for the Athenians that it was a worlde to heare them two And whereas Pytheas had thus sayde in his scoulding eloquence like as we thinke sayes he there is alwayes some euill happening to that house where Asses milke is brought in to be solde euen so that Citie of necessitie can not be long without trouble and mischiefe vnto the which an Ambassade is sent from Athens Demosthenes turned his reason thus and said the milke of Asses is brought into mens houses for healthes sake and to doe good And so the Athenians doe come alwayes for the welfare of others and to helpe such as are in any wyse destressed Of which controuersie when the people of Athens had heard and howe honestly and wisely Demosthenes had handeled himselfe in his countries behalfe they made one Demon of the tribe of Paeanea Demosthenes Cosyn germain to penne a decrée for his returne and so they called him home vpon the conclusion wherof a Galley was sent for him to Aegina where he lay banished And thus after a certaine tyme of exile returning home in the Galey with great honor and comming out of the Hauen Pyraeeum into the Citie he saw readie afore him all the Nobilitie and Cleargie attending his arriual with a maruellous number of the common people who receyued him with all the ioy and gladnesse that might be Wherevpon it was reported he helde vp his handes to heauen wyth great thankes to God that he sawe that day which was more honourable to him than it was to that noble man Alcibiades vpon his like returning from banishment for that he saw himselfe welcomed of the people willingly and voluntarily whereas they receyued Alcibiades home by commaundement for verie necessitie to their great charge much agaynst their will. And now where a fine was set vpō his head of .50 talēts which yet stood still and could not be pardoned being vpon a condemnation by consent of the state they sought to help the extremitie thereof by this cunning that where they were woont vpon the sacrifices made to Iupiter the Sauiour to giue money vnto them that trimmed and prepared the Aultare they did let vnto him the doings of that sacrifice for .9000 pounde starling to counteruaile thereby the value of his amerciment Thus Demosthenes being most honourably restored and highly estéemed he could not yet for all this long enioy his desired Countrie for that the ouerthrow and ruine of the Grecians was at hande euen within fiue Monethes after as it followed At what tyme Antipater gaue them an vtter distresse in the battaile at Cranon and the next Moneth his garnisons approched Munichia and shortly after both Antipater Craterus came to Athens it selfe whose comming being reported and knowne Demosthenes with a fewe others conueyed themselues awaye spéedilye before hande wherevpon the people condemned him and all his companie by a decre of Demades to suffer death And nowe when they weare all gone some one way some another Antipater sendes out streight his catche powles and Sergeants whereof one Archias was Knight marshall and chiefe minister to apprehende those Orators and others This Archias was sometymes a player in Comedyes and one that brought vp schollers vnder him most excellent in that facultie but being called to this office he did his diligence to séeke them out and finding Hyperides Aristonicus and Himerius in Aegina where they tooke Sanctuarie he plucked them out from the sacred place and sent them streight to Antipater who caused them forthwith to be executed And as for Hyperides the report went that his tongue was first plucked out of his heade Nowe Archias hearing afterwards that Demosthenes was in the Isle Calauria and had taken the Church of Neptune for his succour he sayled streight thither and entring the Temple with his officers he entreated Demosthenes to go quietly with him to Antipater and he should haue no harme But Demosthenes had a wonderfull warning by a dreame the same night before for it séemed to him in his sléepe that he did contend with Archias for the setting forth of a Tragedie and hauing the better of him and winning the stage from him
Argo a towne no more famous by the auncient renowme therof than by the death of Pyrrhus Now let vs make a vewe of our doings I pray you how much did Italie flourish more when Pyrrhus set vpon vs than it doth at this present what a full strength and force was the state in than so many Captayne 's being as yet safe so many armies as yet whole sound whom afterward those Africane warres consumed and made away Yet for all that he shooke the state and came conquering welnie to the very gates of Rome And not only did the Tarentynes and all that part of Italie the which is called mayne Greece reuolt from vs so that a man myght well thinke they had followed their language and their auncient name but also the Basilicates the Calabrians and the Abruzzians seuerall people in the kingdome of Naples And thinke you if Philip passe into Italie that these people will be long at rest or keepe themselues within their allegeance In dede they were all quiet during the time that we warred afterwards abrode with the Carthagineans Nay nay this kinde of people will neuer leaue reuolting froÌ„ vs but when they shal haue no body to fal vnto If it had bene so lothsom a matter to you at that time to make ouer into Africa you had had Annibal the Carthage enimies within Italie at this day Let Macedonie rather abyde the mischiefes of warre than Italie and the Countrie and towne rather of our enimies feele the force of fire and sworde and be destroyed therewyth We haue good triall already that our force and might hath bene more fortunate and more puissant abrode than at home And therefore go you altogither on Gods name to giue your voyces and allowe you those things with one consent the which haue bene wysely considered vppon by the Senate And for this opinion you haue not onely your Consull to encourage you therevnto but also the immortall Goddes vnto whome when I made my sacrifice and my prayers that this warre might be fortunate to me to the Senate to you to the friendes and confederates of the Latine name and to our Nauie and whole armie they prognosticated and foreshewed vnto me when I was at the sacrifice that all things shoulde go happily forwarde and prosper very well The Argument vpon the first Oration of Demosthenes in fauour of the Olynthians a people in Thracia now called Romania PHILIP King of Macedonie sonne to Amyntas and father of Alexander the great did much annoye the lande of Greece but especially the people of Athens froÌ„ whom by force and other meanes he tooke many goodly Cities as Pydna Potydaea Amphipolis with others vsurping in all places where violence might preuayle Yea he brought by extreeme hande whole Thessalia vnder his yoke and being growne insolent through many victories and conquestes of priuate Countries and Cities he determined at the last to denounce open warre against the whole Countrie of Athens and yet before he would fall into so playne a quarrell with them he drew into his league the Citie Olynthus being in the Countrie of Thracia now called Romania standing somtimes betwixt Abdera and Heraclia a warrelike plat and a martiall soyle next adioyning to Attica the people whereof were Grecians of Chalcis in Euboia a colonie of the Athenians Now these Olynthians had earst bene at warre aswel against the Athenians as also against the Lacedemonians whose valiantnesse king Philip knowing and desirous to haue them matche with him hee sought by great giftes of Townes vnto them which he had gotten from the Athenians and others to make them assured to his part bicause he might haue a more easie passage to Athens a thing that he desired aboue al others For hauing that he thought it nothing to gette all the countrie of Grecia elsewhere whatsoeuer being his full minde to make a plaine conquest of all Grecia if it were possible The Olynthians herevpon perceyuing his ambicious nature and smelling thereby that he was sharpely sette to be Lorde ouer all weying also how vnfaithfull a man he was otherwise in all his doings toke their time in his absence and dispatched an Ambassade to Athens to be confederate with them contrarie to their league made before with King Philip with whome they had agreed to sette vpon Athens and to haue ech with others like friendes and like foes togither Which thing when king Philip vnderstoode he tooke herevpon iust aduauntage to fall out with them and so forthwith proclaimed open warre against them Whervpon the Olynthians sent to Athens for succour whose cause Demosthenes fauouring as one that did full well perceyue the insaciable ambition of King Philips nature perswaded earnestly that ayde shoulde be sent vnto them bicause the safetye of Olynthus was as a man woulde saye a bulwarke or forte to Athens against Macedonie and that King Philip coulde neuer annoye them so long as Olynthus stoode safe and sure Whereas on the other side the Athenians might at pleasure pierce into Macedonie and handle him hardly in his owne countrie But if King Philip once got Olynthus he had then an open entrie and a very playne passage to Athens And to encourage his Countrie men the better in this quarrell hee sayth that King Philip is not so mightie but he may easily be dealt withall contrarie to the common opinion Further he willeth monye to bee leuied and taken out of the common treasurie perswading that where as it was wont to bee bestowed vppon Stage playes Maygames and publyke sightes now the time serued that it might be better employed vpon Souldiers for their wages to defende the afflicted Olynthians and to maintaine the safegarde of Athens But bicause the maner is vnknowne to many how the Athenians vsed and dispensed their treasure at that time it weare not amisse to touch it briefly When the Athenians heretofore vsed no Theater or scaffolde for the people to stande vpon but such only as was made of boardes into the which euery man made haste to get a place to see those sightes that weare there to bee seene many times when their scaffolde fayled they did hurt themselues and sometimes they went togither by the eares so that manslaughter followed for want of order while euery man sought to place himselfe first that first could get vp wherevpon proclamation was made that none hereafter shoulde haue any place there except they first payde out of hand two halfe pence of that coyne for their standing being about two pence starâ—ing and so they should be placed of the which money part was giuen for the building of the Theater of stone where the playes and open shewes shoulde be made and set forth and part was bestowed vpon officers appointed for these pastimes And when the collection monye fayled the Chamber of Athens did beare the reast for maintenaunce of their costly feasts and seuerall games to the great and intollerable charge of the Citie And least the poore should be thought hereby
be present with them at their doings For this is greatly to be feared least king Philip being a subtile man and beaten with practise of doings partly by yéelding and giuing ouer his owne right if néede so require partly by threatning which if he doe it is likely that he shall be beléeued partly by blaming vs and our absence and the delaying of our matters do quite and cleane ouerturne and dashe some thing wherein the force of all our dooings lyeth Howbeit this falleth out very well O Athenians that wherein king Philip séemeth most inuincible therein haue you most aduauntage of him For that he being but one man is Lorde of all as well secrete as open matters and withall chiefe Capitaine Maister and Treasurer and that he is present euery where with his army himselfe these be poyntes in déede that for the doing of his Marciall affayres with spéede and in good tyme make verie much with him But as to those attonementes which he would gladly make with the Olynthians they make cleane against him For it is manifest to the Olynthians howe that they are not now at warre with him for Honour or parcell of theyr lande but for the safegarde of theyr Countrie from destruction and thraldome Neyther are they to learne how he hath vsed himselfe towardes the Amphipolitanes who gaue ouer their towne vnto him And likewise howe he handled them of Pydna that receyued him into them And altogither as I take it the gouernment of tyranny is a thing to be mistrusted of frée states especially when they are neighbours and border togither Now these things O Athenians being knowne to you and all other things that be requisite well considered me thinkes you ought to sette to your good willes your heartes and your mindes wholy vpon the warres and if at anye tyme else nowe especially as well in making a chearefull contribution of money as in setting forth in your own persons leauing nothing vndone Neyther haue you any thing to pretende or alleage to the contrarie why you should not doe your dutyfull endeuour For why the thing that you all talked so much of how it should be requisite to make the Olynthians enimies to king Philip you sée it is now come to passe of it selfe and that in such sort as better it could not haue fallen out for your purpose For had they taken the warre in hande through your perswasion there had bene no great holde to bée taken of their league and they woulde haue tarryed but a while in that minde perhappes but nowe séeing they be enimies for these quarrelles that he hath to them it is likely that they will cōtinue this enmitie still as well for those iniuries which he hath alredy done them as for those which they feare he wil do And therfore ye ought not O Athenians to let go such an occasiō now happened vnto you besides your expectatiō neither to suffer those inconueniences the smart whereof you haue oftentymes heretofore felt For if when we went to ayde the Euboians at which tyme Hierax and Stratocles Ambassadors for the Amphipolitanes weare with vs and here in this verye place requested you to sende a power by Sea to take theyr Citie into your protection we had shewed the same forwardnesse in vs for our owne selues as we did for the Euboians safetie ye had both gotten Amphipolis at that tyme and might haue béene ridde of all such troubles as afterwardes ensued Againe when you heard that Pydna Potydea Methona Pegase and diuers other Cities to long to be rehearsed weare besieged had we our selues then couragiouslye and as it was our partes to doe ayded and succoured any one of them at the first wée shoulde haue founde king Philip by this tyme more lowely and more easie to be dealt withall by a great deale than he is But nowe that we doe alwayes let slippe things present and hope that the worlde will fall out better of it selfe hereafter we our selues haue by this meanes O Athenians both encreased the might of King Philippe and made him so great a Prince as neuer yet was king of Macedonie before him But nowe is there an occasion offered what is that Euen this same of the Olynthians which offereth it selfe vnto this Citie and is nothing inferior to any of those that haue béene made heretofore and verily as I think O Athenians if one weare appoynted as it weare an Auditour truely to examine and to take a iust accompt of those benifites which GOD hath bestowed vppon vs hée shall finde when all is done although many thinges bée not with vs in so good state as they should be yet that we are bounde to giue him verie great thankes and good reason too For why where as we haue lost many things by the warres a man maye iustly impute it to our owne negligence but whereas we haue neyther felt the same long agoe and that certaine haue offered to ioyne wyth vs in these warres who if we will accept them are able to counteruayle and recompence our former losses that benifite surely woulde I impute to procéede of his goodnesse towards vs. But herein mée thinkes I espie the lyke māner in you as men vse in getting of money For so a man can kéepe as much as he hath gotten he thankes Fortune highly for it but if it go awaye he wotes néere howe then awaye goes the remembraunce of any thankes to Fortune at all And euen so in mens doings they that doe not vse their tyme well doe not so much as call to remembraunce if anye good thing hath happened to them by the goodnesse of god For according to that which last happened euery thing that went before is commonly iudged Wherefore we haue great néede O Athenians to be carefull of the rest hereafter to the intent that by the amending of these things we may wype away the reproche of our former doings For if we shall forsake these men O Athenians and that yonder man ouerthrow Olynthus tel me some body what shall let him when that is done to runne his course where he list I beséech you Athenians is there none of you that doth consider and sée by what meanes king Philip who was of small force at the beginning is now growne become thus mightie great First when he had taken Amphipolis after that Pidna then Potidea and by by Methona then he inuaded Thessalia after that when he had ordered Pheres Pegase Magnesia and all as he woulde haue it hée tooke his iourney to Thracia and there hauing displaced some out of theyr Kingdomes and established others he fell sicke and being somewhat amended did not giue himselfe to slouthfulnesse but by and by went in hand with the Olynthians I will not speake of his iourneyes and exploytes made vpon the Illirians Peonians and against king Arymba his Vncle and euery where else But some will say
such meanes as men would gesse him to be the greater by that is to saye by warres and martiall affayres he hath made the same more vnsafe to himselfe than they woulde be of their owne nature And thinke not with your selues O Athenians that the same thing that lyketh well King Philip is anye pleasure at all to his subiectes For he desires honour and glorye aboue all reason and longes altogither after that neither will he refuse to hazard himselfe to any daungerous aduenture wherby to bring the things to passe which neuer king of Macedonie did before him preferring glorie before all quietnesse in the world And as for his subiects what part haue they of his glorie but like men cloyed and tired with continual going vp downe on warrefare liue in continual trouble and miserie And neither are suffered to follow their owne businesse and dwell vpon their owne nor yet to dispose of those goods which they haue gotten by such trade as they could occupie themselues in for that that all the Ports and Hauens in the Countrie are shutte vp by reason of the warres And by this you may easily iudge howe the common sort of the Macedonians are affected towardes their king But then his foreyne souldiours and garde of footemen that attende vpon him they beare a name to be iollye felowes and expert waryers Well I heard of one that was that countryman borne a man that will not lie that they are no better than others are And whosoeuer is among them a man of authoritie practised in warres and martiall feates him puttes he away from him vpon an ambitious minde of his owne as one that couets to haue all things séeme to be his owne doings for amongst other faultes that he hath he is thought to be an excessiue vaine glorious and ambitious man And if there be a sober person or otherwise an honest man amongest them that can not away with his daily surfeiting drunkennesse his hoyting reueling he is streight way despised and naught set by as for the rest that are about him they be a sight of theues flatterers and such felowes as when they are dronken wil fall to daunsing and leaping and such other things as I am ashamed to name vnto you And certaine it is that this is true that I haue touched For why such as haue béene chased by you out of the towne a sight of rakehelles worse than Coniurers or Iuglers as Callias that towne slaue and such like felowes iesters rymers wryters of filthie Ballades made against their Companions as laughing stocks those are his dearlings his chiefe Mates and Companions And although some man will say that those are but light matters yet vnto wise men if they consider well vpon them they séeme tokens of a lewde naughtie minde and are manifest signes of mischiefe like to tumble vpon him But peraduenture his good successe at this time kéepes these thinges from comming to light for prosperitie is a thing of such force that it shrowdes these reprochfull demeanours of his but trippe he neuer so little awrie then euery bodie falles a descanting vpon all that euer he did in his life And so I beléeue O Athenians ere it be long it will appeare in him to the whole worlde if God be willing and you togither For as we doe not féele in our bodyes so long as we be in health the griefe of any member diseased or euill affected but as soone as sicknesse toucheth vs than all those partes are out of frame and temper that before weare eyther broken wrinched or anye otherwise diseased euen so it fareth with Countries and Kingdomes so long as they kéepe warres abroade domesticall wrongs and mischiefes lye vnespied But when warres breakes out once in their owne Countries than doe all inwarde gaulles and griefes bewraie themselues It may be that some perhaps wil thinke it very daungerous for vs to deale with king Philip seing him so fortunate a man and to haue so good successe folowing him at his héeles in déede that man that so thinketh doth thinke as any wise man would For it is very true that fortune beareth great sway in al worldly affayres yea to say the truth fortune rules all the world And yet for all that if the choyse weare mine I had rather haue the fortune of our Citie so you would once do your duties weare that neuer so meanely than to haue al the happines that king Philip hath For why I sée you haue many more offers and occasions to receiue gods benifites than he hath which are plaine tokens of the great goodnesse of God towards vs. But I trowe we sit still at our ease and doe nothing at all And howe then is it possible that he that is ydle himselfe should commaund his friends to do any thing for him much lesse the Gods. It is no maruaile therefore if king Philip that is alwayes in armour alwayes taking of paynes in his owne person readie at all exploytes and such a one as wil not slip any occasion or houre of his time doth ouerreach you who spend all your time in lingring in making of decrées and in questioning one with another For my part I meruaile neuer a whitte at this nay rather would I meruaile if we by doing nothing that is fitte for men of warre to do should go beyond him that doth all thinges that he néedes to doe But this thing can I meruaile much at to sée that in times past O Athenians you withstoode the Lacedemonians in the right of Greece when being ofttimes in case to haue aduaunced your owne estate very much you would none of it but spent of your owne for the maintenance of other mens right aswel in contributing your mony thervnto as also in ventring your owne persons in the warres And now when you should set forward for defence of your own possessions you draw back and are loth to disburse any thing at all And you that haue heretofore béene the safetie of all men in generall and euerye man in particuler nowe when your owne goodes and welfare is taken from you ye sit still and doe nothing Moreouer I meruaile much at this O Athenians that not so much as one of you all can recken with himselfe what a long time you haue had warre with King Philip and what a goodyeare you weare doyng all the while that this tyme was a spending For ywis you know this verie well that whilest you houer and hope that others will fight for vs and whilest you accuse condemne one another and lastly whilest all that ere you do is a maner all after the same sort still as your olde woont was the time runnes away Haue you so little iudgement in déede that by such meanes as you sée our countrie fallen from great welth to a weaker state you would thinke it likely by the same meanes to turne
weale then was endammaged and on the other side that those who haue spoken thinges for the behoofe of our Citie and the thing that might be for the profite of vs all should be punished with your displeasure and hatred And before these things be brought into better order neuer looke for it O Athenians that there should be any such one among you so great as should not be punished for his labor if hée transgressed these lawes nor yet so foolish that will put his neck into the haulter when he may kéepe it out And surely you must not be ignoraunt of this poynt O Athenians that a decrée is nothing woorth vnlesse you haue as good will to kepe it as you were readie to make it For weare decrées sufficient of themselues to compell you eyther to doe your dutyes or to performe the thinge that is set forth in them then should neither you who haue made so manye decrées put so fewe or rather none of them in execution nor yet king Philip shoulde haue wronged vs so long as he hath done For there was no let in our lawes and decrées but that he should haue smarted long ere this time But the matter is cleane otherwise for why although doings by order and decrée follow after speaking and passing of their matters by holding vp of handes yet in power it goes before and is a much more worthie thing And therfore this is it that we haue to do yet the reast is done alreadie For why there are ynowe among you O Athenians that can say as is fit for men to saye and you your selues are as quicke witted to iudge of things sayde as any others And euen very now may you put them in execution if you doe well For I pray you what time or what occasion can you find better than this present season or when will ye euer do that ye haue to do if now ye will not hath not the man got all your countries into his hand alreadie but if he get the Lordship of this lande of Olynthus also it will be the greatest shame that euer came vnto vs Are not those nowe troubled by him with warre whom we promised to defende stoutely if he did warre vpon them is not he an enimie holdes he not your countries and goodes is not he a barbarous and outlandish Prince is he not whatsoeuer a man list to call him But Lorde God if we shall let all these things vnlooked to and rather be a helpe in a maner for him shall we then fall to séeke out who weare the authors of all these matters so euill handled And yet we will not accuse our selues I am well assured No more will they that for feare runne away from the warres accuse themselues but rather will alwayes lay the fault in the Capitaine and him that standes next them yea and vpon anye body than vpon himselfe And yet for all that was their running away the very cause that they weare ouercome in the fielde For he that accused others might haue taryed the battayle himselfe Which if euery one of them had done they might haue got the victorie And so nowe perhaps if some one doth not giue the best councell let some other stand vp and say his minde and not find fault with him that spake before Is there any man can tell you better doe it a Gods name But peraduenture this my speache is somewhat vnsauerie vnto you Well for all that he doth you no wrong that telles it you except peraduenture hée omittes prayer if haply it néeded to Godwardes For in déede O Athenians to wishe and to pray vnto God is an easie matter where a man may trusse vp in a small rowme as much as he list But when matters are brought in counsell to be debated vpon then is not the choyse so plentifull but the better is to be preferred before the more pleasant where a man may haue both But what if one coulde let you alone with the stage money and yet find out other meanes to get money for souldiors weare not he a better fellow would some man say Yes marry weare he O Athenians if there were any such man to be found But I wonder howe euer it was or euer shall bée that if one doe spend money which he hath vpon things vnnecessarie howe he can get money which he hath not to bestowe and employ vpon things necessarie But in these cases it is a great matter howe mens mindes are enclined and it is the easiest matter in the worlde for a man to deceyue himselfe in his owne opinion For euerye one iudgeth as his owne fansie and affection carieth him where as the nature of things is farre otherwise And therfore I would wishe that yée considered these things as the nature and condition of them requireth So shall you be able to go to the warres and receyue your wages Neither is it the propertie of a wise man nor yet of a Gentleman to omit any thing that is to be done in time of warre for want of mony either to put vp lightly such foule rebukes as these be And what a shame were it for you in all the haste to warre with the Corynthians and the Megareyans being all Grecians and in the meane season to suffer King Philip being a straunger and a Barbarian to subdue the townes of Greece vnto himselfe for want of prouision for souldiours neyther doe I speake these thinges to get your euill will thereby I am not so much without witte and so voyde of grace that I woulde willingly procure my selfe your displeasure and then doe no good neyther But I thinke it the part of a good Citizen when he shall say his minde to regarde more the welfare of his countrie than to currie fauell with the people For so haue I heard say and perhaps so haue you also that your Councellors in the time of our Auncestors whom all your Orators now doe much prayse and estéeme and do yet but a little follow them did vse themselues after this plaine maner and custome when they had to deale in matters of the state that is to say Aristides that ioly felow Nicias and he that was called by my name Demosthenes and also Pericles But since these good felowes came forth that will be first asking what will you haue with vs what will you haue me enact wherein may I speake to please you for a desire that they haue to picke thankes and for a transitorie pleasure and liking at your handes they haue drenched the whole welfare of the Citie And this is euen come of it they themselues spéede well by it and are in very good case but as for our country it is in verie euill state For I pray you waye with your selues O Athenians what great and principall poyntes a man might speake of and howe farre different the doynges of our Auncestors weare from those of this
tyme I will recite them to you in few words and that which is notorious For you may be a fortunate and a happy Nation not by vsing of forrayne and straunge actes but of domesticall and home examples Those men therefore whom the Orators did not so flatter nor fawne vpon as these men doe vpon you had the chieftie and principalitie ouer all the Grecians with their good liking and consent by the space of .45 yeares and they layde vp in the Treasure house more than .10000 talents Yea the king himselfe that then ruled this same countrie that he now holdeth was subiect to the Grecians as fit it is for a barbarous and outlandishe king to be subiect to the Gréekes and erected many a goodly triumphe of their déedes done both by sea and by lande And they amongst all other people did leaue such fame and honour behinde them as ouercame all enuie of man Thus did these men behaue thēselues in defence of the Gréekes But in matters of the Citie I pray you marke how they ordered things both in publike and priuate dealings As to publike buildinges they left behinde them suche gorgious Temples and so great store of reliques and offeringes in the same that none comming after them could be able to excéede them for their worthinesse signified by their insignes In their priuate doings they weare so temperate and kept so well the good orders of the Citie that if any of you knewe which was the house of Aristides and Miltiades and of the famous mens houses of that time what they weare you should sée them to be nothing more gorgious than weare their poore neighbours houses aboute them For why they weare not officers in the common weale to enrich themselues by it but to aduaunce the honor and state of their countrie And thus with behauing them in the affayres and seruice of Greece faithfully in matters of religion towards god deuoutly and in priuate trades and dealings euenly and vprightly with all men they well deserued to make themselues happie and fortunate men Thus flourishing was the state of the common weale as long as these men bare rule whom I haue named before But now that these smooth meale mouthed felowes a Gods name are come to beare rule howe go your matters forwarde I pray you What aswell as they did afore time or any thing like vnto it at all As for other things I let them passe though in déed much weare to be said But notwithstanding that many while this waste desertnes round about vs being so great as you sée it is that the Lacedemonians decayed the Thebanes not at leysure and that there is no body else left worthie inough to contend with vs for the principalitie we might well inough both kepe our owne in safetie end the matters of cōtrouersie amongst others Yet for all that I say we haue not in this meane while so muche as defended our owne but haue lost rather part therof and we haue spent more than .1500 Talents to no purpose at all and such confederates as we got vs in time of warre we lost them againe in time of peace through the fault of these our Orators and haue made our enimie most mightie and strong against vs Yea we only and none other haue raysed king Philips strength to this that it is And this be not true let me sée him come forth that can shew me how king Philip is become so mightie by any other meanes than by yours onely But O good sir though things be not well abroade yet all is wel at home and better than euer it was and what should you tell me of a sight of whyted turrets and pynacles of pauing of high wayes and stréetes of fountaynes and such like toyes Nay then I pray you looke vpon them that had the charge and ordering of these matters you shall sée some of them that were verie beggers before are nowe waxen marueylous riche men others being meanely borne men are made noble honorable personages some you shall sée to haue their owne houses more gorgeously furnished than are the publike buildings of the Citie So that the lesser and worse the estate of the common wealth is the more are they aduaunced and encreased And what is the cause of all these thinges And why weare all these thinges so well in those dayes and nowe nothing at all well done at this day Forsooth that 's this bicause that afore time the Commons both had the stomacke to go a warfare themselues and were also themselues maysters ouer the Maiestrates and Lordes of all thinges that good were than was euerye man contented to take office and aucthoritie of the Commons and to receyue any good thing else at their handes Where as nowe it is cleane contrarie for the Maiestrates and gouernours haue all in their owne handes and through them all things are done and you that be the Commons like men soken to the verie bottome destitute of money and warre fellowes are become very vnderlings and hangers on vpon them and thinke it pleasure ynough if their Maysterships can be contented to impart vnto you some small portion of the stage money or cast a few harlatrie pence among you and that which is most vnsitting that can be to man ye bring your selfe in daunger for a Pigge of your owne Sow And they in the meane season kéeping you fast lockt vp within the Citie worke such maistries with you and make you so tame that you are contented to come to their handes and to be at their becke And surely that man shall neuer be found to haue a valiant lustie courage of his owne that is of so base abiect doings For why like as a man accustomes and trades himselfe such must his courage and minde néedes bée And in speaking hereof I sweare by our Ladie mother I maruaile neuer a whitte if I receyue more hurt for speaking of this matter than they did that weare the dooers of it For a man may not alwayes be bolde to speake his minde before you in euery thing yea rather I marueile to sée you giue me such quiet hearing as you doe at this time And therefore let me nowe at length entreate you to leaue of these condicions and to go foorth on warrefare your selues and to doe all thinges as becommeth you vsing this ouerplus of money you haue at home for an instrument to doe things well abroade withall and in so doing it is not vnpossible and it maye be well ynoughe O Athenians that you shall get some singuler great profite by it And make no more a doe with these petie trifling games of the stage playes which are matters not much vnlike to meates that Phisitions giue to sicke folke which neyther gyues strength to their bodies nor yet suffers them to dye Euen so these sommes of money that you doe nowe distribute are neyther so
speake with a better will. And albeit I am in doubt and can not tell certainly what will happen vnto mée vpon this yet notwithstanding bicause I am most certaine that if you doe as I haue sayde it shall turne to your great ease I haue thought good therefore to tell you thus much And I pray God that thing may preuayle with you which shall be for the welfare of you all The Argument of the second Oration against king Philip of Macedonie DEmosthenes being afrayde to stirre the Athenians directly to warre for dread of the people being euill caried away by others that tolde them of the great charges that the warres do bring doth councell them to take heede of king Philip as of a suspected enimie And in no wise to trust his forged peace vnder shadow whereof he doth all the mischiefe he can And therfore he willeth them to loke well to their businesse and to trust to themselues making their people readie against all assayes bicause that king Philip doth nothing else but lye in wayte for them and all Greeceland besides to conquer them and to become a Tyraunt ouer them all And in shewing the maner and behauiour as well of them in their doings as of him in his doings he doth verie wisely bring in many likelyhoodes and euident profes as well concerning the disposition of king Philips owne person as of the Grecians in generall and so he maketh it a verie plaine and cleere matter that king Philip doth hate them deadly warning them for that cause not to trust his faire promises nor yet the profered kindnesse and fauour exhibited by Eschines and others For that king Philip hath most cruelly abused other cities and countries with such like craft and subtiltie And here he giueth a lesson fit at all tymes for all men liuing the which is this That there can bee no greater strength and assurance to a man than to be mistrustfull for according to Libanius report euen as money is the strength and sinewes of warre so is mistrustfulnesse the maintenance and safegarde of wisedome In the end he promiseth to giue king Philips Ambassadors their aunswere when they shall come in case they themselues doubt what aunswere to make vnto them but he sheweth not what he will say but leaueth that matter and falleth to inueigh agaynst those Traytors that are king Philips hyrelings and sheweth that their promises and king Philips present doings agree not togither and therefore plainely doth discifer king Philip to be their mortall enimie against whome he councelleth them to take armor in hande and to proclaime open warre for the better safegarde and defence of their whole estate and Countrie ¶ The second Oration against king Philip of Macedonie WHen any talke is O Athenians of king Philips doings and the outrages and violences that he committes contrary to the peace I perceyue you estéeme it to be both honest and reasonable And who soeuer will séeme to speake any thing against king Philip they shall be thought to speake as is fitte for them and yet for all that there is nothing in a maner done as it ought to be nor yet as should become them that haue so much tolde them as you haue For the worlde is come to this poynt with vs nowe that the more plainelye and cléerelye a man sheweth king Philip to haue broken peace with vs and to seke a conquest ouer al Grecelande so much the more daungerous it is to giue councell what weare best to be done And the reason is this bicause O Athenians all such as through violence and wrong couet more than in right they should doe ought to be daunted and kept backe with déedes and not with wordes onely And first of all we our selues that take vpon vs this place our woont is to forbeare councell and aduise in those poyntes for feare of your displeasure and in stéede of them we fall a discoursing vnto you of his doings howe daungerous howe weightie and how heynous they are and such like things And then you that be the hearers in vnderstanding and giuing eare to a mans tale be much more readie than king Philip is But when it commes to the withstanding of his doings that he is now in hand withall then you be altogither ydle and as colde in your doings as may be And therefore it falleth out to good reason and it must néedes be so to that looke in what things eyther of you both is most conuersant and traueyled in the selfe-same eche of you doth excell the other that is he in déedes and you in wordes And if so be you thinke it a goodlyer matter to speake more aptly to the purpose than he doth why that 's a thing easie ynough to do and it néedes no great traueile But if it stand vs vpon at this time to consider howe to amende things presently amisse least through our vnaduisednesse and ignoraunce the same go to ruyne and destruction more and more hereafter and least he shock vs with such a power as we shall not be able to encounter then are wée not to take that way of consulting togither as wée haue doone heretofore but as well all they that bée Orators as all you that be hearers must choose those things that be good and profitable and leaue the delitefull and pleasant And first of all if any man among you O Athenians is so foolehardy so rash that séeing how mightie a lord king Philip is makes reckoning for all that that this his stately greatnesse will bréed no harme nor daūger to our Citie neither yet that al that his preparation is ment agaynst you I do much marueile at him that so thinketh And therfore I pray you al heare me a while what I will say wey my reasons why I am not of your minde but rather thinke king Philip to be a deadly enimy vnto vs all to the intent that if I shall by good hap séeme to sée farther in him and to iudge of him more truly than others do you may follow mine aduise and councell But if these bold foolehardy fellowes such as haue so sound a beliefe trust in him sée farther and déeper than I do why then agrée you to them on Gods name First O Athenians I consider what countries king Philip hath vnited to himself since the peace cōcluded with vs namely the Pyles the Phoceyans And what then how hath he vsed them I pray you Mary he hath done for the cōmoditie of the Thebanes all that he could possible but for vs he hath done no one thing at all And why did he so forsooth bicause in bestowing his wittes howe to get and to bring all vnder his subiection without regarde of peace and quietnesse right or wrong he wisely doth consider and knowe right well that he is not able to winne our Citie or vs eyther as we haue hitherto liued by any corruption of gift to betraye anye of the
now that he séeth himself to haue diuers waies wronged you you for al that not to chalenge him for the same but that you are rather ready alwaies to accuse and condemne one another he might well be thought the veriest dolt in the worlde if he would breake of this strife and contention that is amongst you and by forewarning you bring it all vpon hys owne backe and by that meanes leaue nothing to say to those his féede men who bearing you in hand that he meanes no warre to this City séeke nothing but delayes and tracting out of time with you But O good Lord is there any man in his right wittes that woulde iudge whether a man had peace or warre with him by his gay wordes rather than by his dooinges no man without doubt King Philip euen immediately after peace was concluded Diophites not béeing yet generall nor the Souldiours that nowe be in Cherronesus béeing as yet sent from hence he tooke Serrium and Doriscum from vs and draue out those Souldiours out of Serrium wall and the holy Mountain which weare put in by our Generall And in these his practises what was his drift for surely he had sworne to kéepe the peace And let no man say what of all this or what hath this Citie to care for it for whether these matters be trifles or such as the Citie hath not to make any account of it is no place now to reason of such things Albeit touching godlinesse iustice be it in small matters or in great so a man once passe the bounds thereof all is one in effect Well go to now when he sends his hyred souldiers to Cherronesus which countrie both the Persian king all the Gréekes besides haue pronounced to be yours and confesseth moreouer that he will succor theÌ„ signifieth the same by his letters what doth he for he saith that he is not at warre with vs And yet I for my part am so far from déeming that he attempting such thinges doth kéepe peace that eueÌ„ as soone as he touched once in Megara and established a tyrannous gouernement in Euboia now is going into Thracia hath practises a bruing in Peloponesus and compasseth all that he doth with force of armes I dare be bold to say he breakes the peace altogither makes warre agaynst you except ye will say that they that haue their engines and frames in a readinesse do kepe peace till the time they haue brought them hard to the very walles But you will not say so for why that man that dooth and deuiseth those things whereby I may be caught I must néedes say he is at warre with me although he neither throwe nor shoote at me And than what things should you put in hazard by it if any such thing should happen First Hellespontus shall reuolt from you and he that warres with you shal be Lord ouer the Megareans and the Euboians and the Peloponesians they will be on his side And shall I then say vnto you that this man mindes peace and good fayth towardes vs who prepares and rayses vp this frame against our Citie surely it is farre from my thought nay rather euen from the very first day that he destroied the Phoceyans I maintaine it plainly that he began streight to be your enimie And therefore if you doe withstand him out of hande I say you doe wisely And if you doe it not nowe you shall not be able to do it when you would And so farre am I O Athenians from the opinion of others your Counsellors that I think it not méete to haue any longer deliberation about Cherronesus and Bizance but rather that you defende and rescue them from taking of harme And to sende vnto your Generals there all such things as they néede And in the meane space to consult for the safetie and welfare of the whole estate of Grecia nowe standing in verie great daunger And now I will giue you the reason why I am so afrayde of your estate and dooings to the intent that if I shall séeme to say truely and as the matter is in déede you may bée pâ—rtakers thereof and if you will not haue care ouer others yet at the least that you may be prouident and haue care of your selues And in case you thinke I tell you a toy and a brainlesse tale then neuer hearken to my tale either now or hereafter as to him that were well in his wittes Wherefore to touche vnto you howe king Philip from so slender and so base an estate as he was first in is waxen so great and mounted so hie howe all Grecelande hath béene tost through trecherie and sedition among themselues how it is a great deale more out of all mens beléefe for him to come from that he was to that he is now than it is that he should now at this time bring all the reast vnder his subiection after the conquest of so many as he hath made and all such like things as I could well recite I do thinke méete to ouerpasse and surcease But this I sée that all men following your leading haue graunted and yéelded so willingly to king Philip that thing which alwayes heretofore hath béene the occasion of all the warres among the Gréekes And what might that be euen this that he may doe whatsoeuer him lusteth to doe as much to say hée may cut euery man in péeces he may robbe and spoyle the Gréekes and he may go vp and down conquering and bringing of townes vnder his subiection And notwithstaÌ„ding that you haue bene the chiefe princes ouer al Grece for the space of .73 yeares the Lacedemonians for .29 yeares and the Thebanes also nowe of late yeares haue béene men of some force since the battaile fought at Leuctra yet for all this was there neuer thus much graunted by the Grecians eyther to you or to the Thebanes or to the Lacedemonians eyther at any time O Athenians to doe whatsoeuer he lusted to doe And in this matter néedes not much talke But both against you nay rather against the Athenians of those daies after they séemed to passe the bounds of modesty in abusing some men all men then thought it good to reuenge the matter by open warre yea those whom the quarrell of the wronged did not touch at all Againe when the Lacedemonians ruled and had the like seigniorie as you had when they fell once to encroching and began out of measure to shake out of order things well established all men than bended themselues to open warre against them yea euen those that had no quarrell at all to them And what néede we such farre fetcht examples Did not wée our selues and the Lacedemonians being as then no cause of griefe amongst vs yet bicause we sawe others oppressed thinke it good for their sakes to make warre and yet all the offences and faults committed aswell by the Lacedemonians in
Citie And that it is not fit or conuenient to take that from them which the Citie hath giuen to them but rather if the Citie weare not able to giue them anye thing we ought to prouide for them otherwise and to sée that they shoulde not want That if the riche men had this considerate care with them they would not onely deale as I beléeue vprightly and iustly but also be profitable and benificiall to others And it can not be otherwise but that when men are commonly voyde of thinges necessary for their liuing it makes a number of men euil minded to the dispatch of things Againe on the other side I would wish that the poorer sort would cleare themselues and leaue to deale in that matter for which the riche men are iustly grieued and haue good cause to be offended with them And now likewise as I haue done alreadie to the poore so will I speake of the riche and will not shrinke to say the truth Neyther is there anye man be he of Athens or of any other countrie so miserable and of so cruell a heart as I thinke that will grudge to sée the poore haue it and them that are in necessitie But whereat sticke we then and what is it that angers vs Marie this when they sée some men turne the custome of the common treasurye to their owne priuate vse and the worker hereof so quickly to come aloft among you and to liue in so great securitie as though he were safe for euer And then sée the voyce secretly giuen farre different from the shoute and reioycing that was openly made This is it that bréedeth mistrustfulnesse this is that that causeth all this anger For why it is méete O Athenians that one man liue by another according to right and equitie And that the riche men may thinke themselues in safetie of those thinges that are for maintenaunce of their life and without feare to inioy them And when tyme of daunger is to yéeld vp to their countrie all their goodes in common for their safegarde and welfare and as for the rest that i◠the poorer sort to estéeme things common that are common and euery one to haue his share and that which is euery mans in priuate to remayne still to the owners And by this meanes a small Citie waxeth great and a great Citie is preserued for euer This is in a maner all that may be sayde on both sides aswell for the riche as for the poore but how these thinges may be lawfully done I must open the matter more plainely Of these present businesse and troubles there are many by past causes to be alledged which I will open vnto you if it will please you to giue me the hearing You are much swarued O Athenians from that State and maner of liuing which your fore elders left you in and are perswaded by such as rule all in these matters and thinke it a superfluous a néedelesse charge to be chiefe ouer all the State of Grece or to haue alwayes an armie in a readinesse for the reliefe of all those that are wronged and oppressed and are giuen to thinke that it is a wonderfull happinesse and great safetie to liue at rest and to doe nothing as you ought to do but rather neglecting euerye thing perticularly to giue other men leaue to take all and by this meanes an other man is stept vp to that degrée which had béene fitte for you to haue béene in he is become both happie and mightie and Lorde ouer a great number and good reason For why that feate which was so honourable so great and so goodly a matter and such as the mightiest Cities haue alwayes striued for among themselues what thorowe the Lacedemonians vntowarde lucke and the Thebanes that coulde not intende it by reason of theyr warres with the Phoceians what through our negligence that thing I say hath king Philip taken vp as a thing forsaken and giuen ouer of all men Whervpon others of the Grecians were in great feare but king Philip he got thereby great allyes and mighty power And such and so great stirres and troubles haue nowe compassed round about all the Grecians that it is no very easie matter to giue such councell as is requisite And where as O Athenians all Grece stands in a very dreadfull case as I take it yet is there none in greater perill than you are not onely bicause king Philip doth chiefely minde confusion vnto you aboue all others but especially bicause you your selues are the most carelesse and ydlelest of all But if bicause you sée great store and good cheape of things to be solde and plentie of vittayles in the Market place you are delyted so much therein as though the Citie weare out of all daunger no doubt you do not iudge well of the matter nor as you ought to doe For in déede they weare it good matter for a man to iudge a Market or assēbly by whether it weare well or euill serued or no. But as for a City which he whosoeuer alwayes coueteth to be a ruler ouer the Gréekes hath thought only able to withstand his purpose to defend the liberty of al the reast we ought not forsooth to iudge of things that are to be bought solde whether that Citie be in good state or no but rather if it haue affiance in the good will of confederates and be strong in furniture of armour These be the things that ought to be considered in the state of this Citie which with you are altogither euill vsed and not well appoynted And this you may well perceyue if you will consider with your selues by the time when Gréeceland was chiefly in trouble as no man can say that euer it was at any time so much as at this present For in times past all Gréeceland was deuided into two factions that is to say betwixt the Lacedemonians and vs The rest of the Grecians weare part at our deuotion and part at theirs As for the king so long as he was by himselfe he was mistrusted of all men alike But ioyning to him the weaker side that was conquered in battaile so long was he trusted vntill he had made them equall with the other side Afterwarde they whome he had saued did no lesse hate him then those did that had béene his enimies from the beginning And at this present tyme to beginne withall the king vseth friendly all the rest of the Gréekes but vs least of all except we now play the men Moreouer there are diuers Lieutenaunt shippes appoynted euerye where and euery one séekes to be chiefe Some reuolts from others some disdaynes and enuies one another and not one trustes his neighbour contrary to that they ought to doe And euerie one holdes of himselfe the Argeynes the Thebanes the Corinthians the Lacedemonians the Arcadians and we And all be it that Greece is deuided into so many
for any man to tell how much he abused the poore wretches the Olinthians after he had giuen them Potidaea and many thinges else And euen nowe he fetches me in the Thebanes by giuing to them the Countrie of Boeotia and deliuering them from a very grieuous and daungerous warre So that euery one of them by profiting and aduantaging himselfe in a verie small matter are now some of them alreadie in that case as all men may sée othersome of them shall be faine to abide whatsoeuer may chaunce vnto them But as for you what you haue béene spoyled of I will saye nothing Euen at the verie instant of the knitting vp of the peace in howe many things haue you béene deceyued in how many things haue you bene lurched of hath he not got from you the Phoceyans the Piles is he not Lorde in the State of Thracia Doriscum Serrium and of king Charsobleptes himselfe kéepes he not presently Cardia in his hands cares not who knowes it And why beareth he himselfe towardes other men and towardes you not a like forsooth bicause men haue frée libertie without perill in this our Citie onely of all others to speake in the behalfe of the enimie and if any hath taken money he may speake safely ynough amongst you although you shoulde bée spoyled of all that you haue by the bargaine It was no safe speaking in Olynthus on king Philips side had not the Commons there béene also benifited by taking the fruites of Potidaea It was no safe speaking on king Philips side in Thessalia had not the multitude of the Thessalians béene also benifited in that Philip expulsed theyr Tyraunts after restored to them Pyles It was no safe speaking in Thebes neyther till he had giuen them vp Beotia and destroyed the Phoceyans But at Athens though king Philip hath taken from vs not onely Amphipolis and the whole countrie of the Cardians but also fortifieth euen nowe Euboia and maketh it as a rampire or countermure against vs and nowe commeth streight with his army vpon Bizanze yet is it safe speaking on king Philips side for all that And therefore some of these good felowes that speake in his fauour are risen vppe from beggers state to become sodenly very riche persons and of men without name or reputation growne to be of great aucthoritie and famous But you cleane contrary that earst weare of great account be now out of al estimation and that eare while weare welthie be now out of all welth For surely I take it that the riches of a state consisteth in confederates faithfulnesse and good will all which things you doe want And by your neglecting hereof and letting all things goe as they doe he is become happie and mightie and terrible to all the Gréekes and Barbarians whereas you your selues are voyde of friendes and low brought making a goodly shewe and glistering of a cheapnesse of vittayles that is among you But as for anye store or preparation you haue of things conuenient or néedefull you may be laughed to scorne of the worlde for it And I perceyue very well there be Counsellors that giue you not the like councell as they would do to themselues For they tell you you must be quiet though a man doe you wrong Where as they themselues cannot be at rest among you when no man doth them any harme at all But if a man might aske a question without checke Tell me O Aristodemus for as much as thou knowest it well ynough as what is he that knowes it not that as the priuate mans life is verie safe quiet and without perill so their life that beare rule in the common weale is fraughted with complaintes and vncertaine full both of dayly brawles and mischiefes why wouldest thou not rather follow a quiet and vnbusâ—ed life than choose this daungerous and vncertaine state of béeing What hast thou to saye to it For if thou makest vnto me that aunswere which is best for thée and that I doe graunt it vnto thée to be true that thou doest all these things for the desire thou hast to aduaunce thine honour I doe maruell truely séeing thou thinkest it méete for thée to take all these paines not to refuse any labor or perill for honors sake that thou wilt be a meane for thy Countrie to lose all these things through verie sloth and lythernesse For thou wilt not say this that it were méete for thée to be some body in this City and that this City ought to be of no estimation among the Gréekes Neither do I vnderstand this how it can be for the safetie of the Citie to meddle with hir own affayres and that it should be dauÌ„gerous for thée except thou doest intermeddle ouer curiously with other folkes businesse But contrariwise I thinke that through this thy medling and ouermedling great peril is like to fall to thée and the like to the City through their ydlenesse But thou on Gods name hast honor by thy Grandfather Father the which thou thinkest a shame to be ended in thée hath this Citie receyued no renowme or honor of hir Auncestors But that is not so For an errant théefe was thy father if he were like to thée wheras the glorie of our Citie standes in this that the Grecians as all men knowe weare twise deliuered out of extréeme daunger by our elders But all men doe not in lyke maner equally and ciuilly handle and gouerne their owne and the publike goodes For what equitie is there in this that some of those fellowes who came but the last day out of prison should be so prowde that they knowe not themselues and the Citie which earewhile had the chieftie and preheminence ouer all Gréecclande shoulde nowe become so base and out of all estimation Thus hauing much yet to speake and of many matters I will say no more Neyther is it for lacke of speaking as me thinketh that eyther nowe or at any tyme else our matters haue béene in so euill a plight but the matter is this when you haue heard men giue you good couÌ„cell and with one accorde allowed well their sayings you are as readie by and by to sit you downe and giue eare to those that are disposed to marre and ouerthwart the whole And not bicause you knowe them not for why you know them so soone as euer you sée them who they be that speake for their hire who serue king Philips turne and who they be that telles you the truth as it is and best for your auaile but to the intent that hauing a quarrell to rebuke them and turning all the matter to a ieast and a flowte you may kéepe your selues from doing of any thing that should be néedefull These things be true which I haue tolde you frankely and fréely with plainenesse goodwil and for your best behooue not a tale farced with
other time to one Epicicles who charging him that all his matters were studied for before hande aunswered thus I might with good reason be ashamed in déede if giuing vp mine aduice and councell to such a multitude I should speake vpon the sodaine iudging it rather rashnesse then wisedome to speake to a number without preparation and aduicement before hand And surely this his diligence and wisedome appeareth notable to the great blame and shame of them that passe their dayes ydlely without taking paynes or giuing themselues earnestly to any trade or vertuous exercise For God hath put vertue all good things to sayle for labour and paynes taking onely as may appeare by this notable man one of the rarest ornamentes of all the worlde for eloquence and déepe vnderstanding of those things that he tooke in hande to knowe Who being but meanely witted and vnapt by nature wanne through great labor to excell all others yea his industrie and diligence was such that he did much forbeare his sléepe and naturall rest sitting vp late many tymes and rysing very early dooing most of his things by candle light wherevpon one Pythias cast in his téeth that his excellencie of eloquence and profound reasons alledged did smell altogither of candle smoke vnto whome Demosthenes aunswered in déede it maye be quoth he that your charges and mine for candle light be not of one maner meaning that the other was a great ryoter by night and lashed out his thrift by smoke of the candle where as Demosthenes was onely occupied at his booke The maner of his liuing was also aunswerable to his painfull trauaile for he was verie spare of dyet and neuer dranke other maner of lyquor than only water whervpon Demades did merily take occasion to ieast saying that others spake their Orations by water but he wrote his by water signifying that all others hauing their tyme stinted to saye their myndes by a certaine houre glasse called Clepsidra out of the which water did runne softly as sande doth in our vsuall Glasses for one two or thrée houres space as the Iudges would appoynt theyr tyme of sitting and as the necessitie of the cause required so Demosthenes did write his Orations by water that is to say he did drinke nothing else but water to haue his wittes euer readie and fresh for all matters And therfore as he did perfite and bring forth to great excellency these his euerliuing monuments of Orations by great labor much abstinence notable watchfulnesse euen so they that desire in like maner to be as he was must take the same course that he did or else they shall neuer be able to attaine to his perfection Whose Orations are such that there lyes more good matter buried in them than the outwarde shew of them caryes to the eye béeing vttered in the playnest and most familier maner that could be for the peoples capacity and vnderstanding For his secret and hid knowledge can not be discouered and knowne by any but by such as are very studious of him and wholy bende their wittes to marke his dooings and haue nothing else to doe but as his schollers to learne his cunning by continuall care and paineful imitation And surely to speake of this man fullye and according to hys worthinesse I doe thinke it an harder péece of worke when a man is in it howe to get out of it than to want a beginning to make an entrance For I am in a maze what first to say and where to begin when I consider his wonderfull absolute nature his maruellous fulnesse and vehemencie of speach hys modest and sober lyfe his piercing eloquence his passing vtteraunce his constant firmenesse in all his doynges his innocent handes from corruption and bribes his iust dealing his curteous and gentle behauiour his faythfull mynde his manly stomacke his singuler wisedome and last of all his seuerall order and particuler dooings throughout the whole course of all hys lyfe So that I say in such a plentifull fielde where so manye rare and notable vertues weare planted better it is sleightly to runne ouer the plot with admiration and highly to honour God for such an odde vessell of his creation than boldly to professe the large commending of so excellent an instrument and heauenly Orator as he was not being able to touch him to the quicke as he ought to be vsed and dealt withall And therefore best it is to let his owne doings speake for themselues and remaine a spectacle to the worlde of his wonderfull disposition For I thinke if himselfe weare aliue he coulde hardly with all the eloquence that euer he had worthily and fully set forth all that was in him and as he had iustly deserued or at the leastwise none could doe it but himselfe alone Wherefore I will passe ouer the rehearsall of all his Orations and doings and onely gather out certaine sentences seuerally vsed by him And after report made of them I will declare somewhat of the loue he bare to his Countrie and of the stoutnesse he vsed agaynst King Philip for the same and of his trouble that happened to him by banishment and then speake of his restitution and lastly of his maner of death and so make an ende In his Orations he was vehement and bitter of speache and yet many tymes in his common and familier talke verye pleasant as may appere by diuers and sundrie his aunsweres and phrases vsed to manye men from time to time among a number whereof I will vtter a fewe When one desired Demosthenes to pleade in his cause agaynst an other man that had beaten the sayde complaynant he hearing him tell his tale somewhat coldely sayde thus it is not so man as thou doest say it séemes to me he hath done thée no harme at all What saye you sir quoth the man wyth a short and roughe voyce as though he had béene caught with a furie hath he done me no harme say you at all yea marye quoth Demosthenes this is an other maner of matter now I heare the voyce of a man that hath béene wronged and euill handeled where as thou toldest thy tale before so coldly and so softly as though thou haddest béene a Mouse in a Chéese Such force thought Demosthenes doth vehement speach and apt vtteraunce carye that it perswades credite and winnes good liking Likewise Demades that most wittie and excellent Orator who in promptnesse of speach Orations on the sodaine passed al others being tripped by Demosthenes said thus me Demosthenes sus Mineruam As who should say Demosthenes controlleth me not vnlike a filthie Sowe that would teach Ladie Minerua vnto whom Demosthenes aunswered and yet forsooth if it please you good sir quoth he your fine chaste Minerua of whom you speake of was lately taken in adoultry in Colito a place so called in Athens as you woulde saye the banke or such a knowne out
so mightie as it is Such is the force of vertue in a good man so great is the value of some one aboue thousandes And further he said that whereas he did send Ambassadors to other places if the Athenians did sende any of theirs thether and suffered Demosthenes to tary at home he commonly preuayled in his demaunde but if Demosthenes weare in place he defeated still all his purposes and was euermore a trumpe in his way Yea such a man is he quoth king Philip that there can not be any sufficient monument erected to set forth fully hys great worthinesse But to returne againe to king Philip thus it is reported that he hearing Demosthenes at an other time euill spoken of by Parmenio for that he had vsed verie vehement wordes agaynst the king in the Councell house at Athens well quoth king Philip we must allowe Demosthenes to vse his wordes for amongst all others he neuer yet came within our bookes of expences meaning he could neuer fasten pennie of him whom he did so estéeme for his singular constancie his assured fidelitie and notable heart towardes his Countrie that he thought him to be the oddest man for all giftes that euer was in Grecia Thus worthily king Philip reported of his deadlie enimie honouring vertue where soeuer he found it And therefore I would haue wished that the memory of such a king should haue béene kept vnspotted after his death or at leastwise not so dispited as to haue triumphes made vpon his infortunate ende séeing he was not so verie euill as he is made to be I doe like well that Demosthenes hated him deadly while he liued for that he sought to get into his hands the whole estate of Athens and all Greceland besides And surely I do thinke that no man can be a good Magistrate that will not as deadlye hate as hée déepely loueth and as soone make an euill man afrayde of him as a good man to loue him For by that meanes he shall both do his Countrie good seruice and saue himselfe from great perill and daunger that else might happen vnto him And according as the Poet Pyndarus sayth he is a man among men that is friend to a friend and a Lyon to his enimye especially the hatred rising for the detestation of vice and the loue growing for the aduauncement of vertue But nowe that king Philip was dead what doe the people of Athens forsooth by by through Demosthenes perswasion they did fall to arme themselues and ioyning in confederacie with others they warred vppon king Philips countrie where the Thebanes gaue the â—resh onset vpon a garrison of Macedonians and slue them through helpe of Demosthenes that prouided them armor and therevnto the Athenians hasted all that was possible for helpe and ioyned with them And who swayed nowe lyke a God among men but Demosthenes addressing letters to the Nobilitie of Persia to arme themselues against yong king AlexaÌ„der whom Demosthenes called â—ibberly Boy Notwithstanding afterwardes when yong Alexander had satled his Realme hée marched with a great power to Boeotia And then was the Athenians combe cut and Demosthenes courage cooled For then did the Thebanes forsake them and they standing vpon their owne proper force weare in daunger to haue lost theyr Citie whervpon they sent Demosthenes with others as Ambassadors to entreate But he was so afrayde of king Alexanders indignation that he returned backe againe in the midde way without doing his message at all Vpon the necke whereof king Alexander sent his Ambassadors and required to haue giuen into his handes and power eight of the Orators whereof Demosthenes was the first and principall And although Demosthenes went to perswade them by the tale of the woolfe and the shepe as you heard before with other reasons alleaged amongst his Apoththegmes that they should not deliuer them yet if Demades that great Orator and suttle Grecian had not béene they had all béene sent away who requiring fiue talents for his charges of Ambassade tooke vpon him to deale with the king for appeasing of his wrath hoping eyther vpon the kings friendship and his fauour or else that the king being glutted alreadie with so great an ouerthrow woulde the rather be satisfied Who in déede as he thought perswaded the king and so the Orators weare not demaunded and peace was made with the Citie Now after Alexander was gone the rest of the Orators caryed great fauor but Demosthenes was no bodie yet wheÌ„ Agis king of Lacedemon began to styrre Demosthenes then rowsed himselfe a little but after when the AtheniaÌ„s would do nothing and that Agis was ouerthrowne his whole country brought to ruyne Demosthenes then sate stil as others did About this time was that action entered by Aeschines against Ctesiphon for crowning Demosthenes with a Garlande for his deserts towards his Country according to the maner then vsed but the matter was tryed long after which matter was so famous as neuer was any publike cause aswell for the worthinesse of both those Orators as for the honor and noblenesse of the Iudges who would not yéeld to the condemnation of Demosthenes although his enimies weare very mightie great friendes to the Macedonians but did acquite him so nobly that Aeschines had scant the fift part of the Ballottes on his side with him And therefore he went out of the Citie by and by as a banished man wearing out the rest of his dayes at the Rhodes where he taught Rhetorike And there one day vnfolding his Oration to certaine learned men which he had vttered agaynst Ctesiphon for the discredit ouerthrow of Demosthenes being maruellously well liked of them for â—t they desired also that they might heare of him Demosthenes aunswere in his owne defence Who read it to them likewise Whereat when he sawe they stoode astonied and amazed for the wonder of his vehement and singular maner of perswasion he brust out thus nay then quoth he what would you haue sayd my maisters if you had heard the best himself vtter it pronounce it vnto you meaning that his pronunciation was of such force and so excellent that it wanne notable credit to the matter propounded Thus these two men being both notable Orators the one could neuer abyde the other and in their méetings at councell weare euer contrarie and ouerthwarting togither Not long after this one Harpalus a great man with king Alexander forsooke his Countrie of Macedonie and fledde to Athens partly for that he had euill vsed things committed to his charge and partly for that he feared the fiercenesse of king Alexander who had cruelly dealt with certaine of his deare friends as Lysimachus Calisthenes and had slaine Clitus his best beloued CouÌ„sellor sodainly in his fury as he sate at table with him Now this Harpalus being come to Athens with great treasure and ships stolne from king Alexander as
sodaine The treasuâ—er and gouernor of Aterne for the Persian king called home from his charge for practising with king Philip against his soueraigne â–ª It is sâ—llie not to take ayde of a straunger when we may and haue nede of it Susae chiefe Citie in Persia distant from Athens 2000 myles the people called Susâ—â— and Ciâ—â—â—â— by Straac but noâ—e called â—oque Ismail * King Philip he meaneth â—â—â—batana now 〈◊〉 Meâ—ia 〈…〉 Persian 〈…〉 doth vse to make his abode Ciuill factions being betwixt the riche and poore are nedefull to be cut of Speach in fauour of the poore * Twenty three thousand foure hundred pouÌ„ds sâ—arling * Three score twelue thousand poundes starling Riche men not to drawe backe from their duties bicause the poore are vnwilling So should euery man liue in the common weale as good folkes do in priuate families The common Countrie and naturall soyle should be deare to euery man that is bred borne in it and no Subiect ought to be vncared for The rich well warned not to hinder the poore Conuerting of publike treasure to priuate game a thing hurtfull and offensiue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a hurre or noise that vpon some thing that liketh or misliketh the people assembled togither goeth thorow them all Iustice maintayneth estates An answeâ—e to traytours that sayde their was no feare of king Philip bicause there was plentie of vittayles â–ª in Athens and no want of things necessarie * king Philip he meaneth Carelesse people alwayes in most daunger Strength of a Citie what it is and wherein it consisteth The king of Persia he meaneth Falshoode in felowship and common enuying one an other Laysinesse lost Athens Vnnecessarie reasons alleaged to hynder necessarie warre A well spenâ— pennie that saueth a pound Particular griefes sooner felt than publike annoyaÌ„ces Daungerous giuing eare to common accusers It is good beaâ—ing of a prowd man. Vilaynes in grosse Home foes the worst and most dauÌ„gerous people liuing Thessalians deceyued by tâ—king of great gyftes Olynthians abused â–ª Thebanes brought into a fooles Paradice Athenians wyped cleane of their chiefe townes and fortes vpon their conclusion of peace with king Philip. Bribe takers being suffered to speake without perill bring hurt to the state Money taking destroyed Olynthus Money taking vndid Thessalia Money taking the ruine of Thebes * Constantinople Athenians receyuing losse suffer flatterers to speake in fauour of the enimie contrary to the maner and vsage of other countries Euery man for himselfe none for his couÌ„trie The treasure of a kingdome are these three 1. War fellowes confederates 2. Faithfulnesse in dooyng thinges 3. good will to doe well * king Philip he meaneth Dissembling Counsellors Aristodemus an euill counsellor perswading vnnecessarie peace The priuate mans life a verie safe being Many in auâ—thoritie seeke rather theyr own aduauncement than the welfare of their Countrie Ouer muche medling and ouerlittle both hurtfull to man and Citie Honors chauÌ„ge maners especially in those that rise from the Dunghill Thre chiefe poynts fit for Counsellors 1. to be bolde 2. plaine and 3. faythfull Much pardoning offences destroyeth a state The minde of man is man himselfe and needeth continuall teaching To know and to do are all in all in vertue Honor got by vertue hath perpetuall assurance Vertue honoured of all men but of wrong deedes no man maketh any worship If eyther feare or loue woulde cause men to be honest lawes were nedelesse Vertue excludeth vice Lawes are the links of vertue Demosthenes more honoured for his notable vertues good life than for his greaâ— learning and wonderfull eloquence Theseus perswaded the people to liue togither in the Citie who liued before in the countrie diuided into foure tribes or shyres and those tribes weare parted into twelue hundrethes and those twelue huÌ„drethes were seuered into 365 fraternities or brotherhoodes euery brotherhoode hauing their proper names 〈◊〉 Demosthenes among the reaâ—â— was of the Peanian brotherhoode Such as had the gouernemeÌ„t of Galeyes weare the best esteemed men in Athens Vertue the best Nobilitie 15. Talents Executors carelesse of their charge Battalus a Musitian so nise of behauiour that he could not well tell howe to treade vpon the grouÌ„d and a great delite he had to go in womans apparell or at the least wyse as nisely as women do Demosthenes aptnesse by nature to follow the path of vertue Oropus a town of Attica bordering vppon Boeotia for the iurisdiction of which place there was great holde The cause that moued Demosthenes first to loue eloquence Iseus an excellent Orator and teacher of eloquence Isocrates kept a schole of Rhetoricke being the sweetest Orator for hys sentences and phrases that then liued Plato Aristotel Demosthenes pleadeth agaynst his Tutor Orchomenius Laomedon through exercise of bodie cured himselfe of a great disease and made his bodie therby euer after more nimble lustie strong An apt similitude Vse makes maysteries Demosthenes imperfections in speach and want of skill to tell his tale Eunomius Thriasius Demosthenes bashfull of nature before the people Satyrus a professor to teach iesture and vâ—terance who shewed his cunning in open stage as Roscius and others did among the Romaines Demosthenes complaine to Satyrus PronunciatioÌ„ of what force it is Demosthenes practise to amende his speache Demosthenes maner to mend his voyce Demosthenes remedie to help his bashfulnes Demosthenes maner to ameÌ„d his iesture Demosthenes diligence and painefulnesse and his strauÌ„ge kinde of keping within Demosthenes maner to occupie his head witte withall Demosthenes more painefull than wittie Demosthenes neuer spake in â—pen audience vnprepared Demosthenes to Epicicles Labour and paynes taking bring all things to passe Pythâ—as saying to Demosthenes Demosthenes temperauncie of life Demades saying vpon Demoâ—thenes Clepsidra a Diall measuring houres by running of water Demosthenes Orations what they are Demosthenes aboue al praise Many passing vertues in one seuerall man. * The rehersall of the order to set forth Demosthenes 1. His seuerall speaches 2. His loue to his countrie 3. His constaÌ„cie and stoutnesse against the enimies of his Countrie 4. His banishment 5. His restitution 6. His last end and maner of death Demosthenes pleasaunt in priuate talke Vtterance maâ—eth much to set forth a matter Minerua the Ladie of wisedome chastitie and learning and therfore when an vnlearned person would controll one of much excellencie it is sayd in rebuke to him Sus MineruaÌ„ ColituÌ„ a place in Athens so named being the brothell corner as it should seeme of that Citie A pithie speach better than a Pilates voyce Fonde tales sooner heard than graue reasons Contention for the shadow of an Asse Trifling speaches better esteemed thaÌ„ earnest talke Aeschines and Policrates with others fauoured king Philips doings agaynst their Countrie King Philips prayses ouerthwarted Follie to dye without doing any good when a man may escape thereby do much good Phocion the hatchet of Demosthenes reasons Magistrates compared to Mastiffes that defende sheepe