any effect of the divinity whatsoever. That opinion might exalt him very much in the sense of the Athenians, and give him an authority, of which the greatest persons of the pagan world were very fond*, and which they endeavoured to ac-. quire by secret communications, and pretended conferences with some divinity: but it drew the jealousy of many of the citizens upon him..

SECTION III

-SOCRATES DECLARED THE WISEST OF MANKIND BY THE ORACLE.

THIS declaration of the oracle †, so advantageous in appearance for Socrates, did not a little contribute to the inflaming envy, and stirring up of enemies against him, as he tells us himself in his Apology, wherein he recounts the occasion, and true sense of that oracle.

Chærephon, a zealous disciple of Socrates, happening to be at Delphos, demanded of the cracle, whether there was a wiser man than Socrates in the world: the priestess replied there was none. This answer puzzled Socrates extremely, who sould scarce comprehend the sense of it: for on the one side, he well knew, says he of himself, that there was neither much nor little wisdom in him; and, on the other, he could not suspect the oracle of falsehood, the divinity being incapable of telling a lie. He therefore considered it attentively, and took great pains to penetrate the sense of it. At first he applied himself to a powerful citizen, a statesman, and a great politician, who passed for one of the wisest men of the city, and who was himself as much convinced of his own merit as any body, He found by his conversation that he knew nothing, and insinuated as much to himself in terms sufficiently intelligible; which made him extremely odious to that citizen, and all who were present. He did the same by several others of the same profession; and all the fruit of his inquiry was, to draw upon himself a greater number of enemies. From the statesmen he addressed himself to the poets, whom he found still fuller of selfesteem, but really more void of knowledge and wisdom. He pursued his inquiries to the artisans, and could not meet with one, who, because he succeeded in his own art, did not believe himself very capable, and fully informed in all that was great

*

Lycurgus and Solon had recourse to the authority of oracles to, advance their credit. Zeleucus pretended that his laws had been dictated to him by Minerva. Numa Pompilius boasted his confer ences with the goddess Egeria. The first Scipio Africanus made the people believe that the gods gave him secret counsels. Even Sertorius's hind had something divine in it.

† Plut. in Apolog. p. 21, 22.

besides; which presumption was the almost universal failing of the Athenians. As they had naturally abundance of wit, they pretended to be knowing in every thing, and believed themselves capable of pronouncing upon all things. His inquiries amongst strangers were not more successful.

Socrates afterwards entering into, and comparing himself with all those he had questioned, discovered, that the dif ference between him and them was, that they all believed they knew what they did not know, and that, for his part, he sin cerely professed his ignorance. From thence he concluded, that only God is truly wise, and that the true meaning of his oracle was to signify, that all human wisdom was no great matter, or, to speak more properly, was nothing at all; and as to the oracle's naming me, it no doubt did so, says he, by way of setting me up for an example, as if it intended to declare to all men, The wisest among you is he, who knows, like Socrates, that there is no real wisdom in him..

SECTION IV.

SOCRATES DEVOTES HIMSELF ENTIRELY TO THE INSRUC-TION OF THE YOUTH OF ATHENS.

AFTER having related some particularities in the life of Socra→ · tes, it is time to proceed to that in which his character principally and peculiarly consisted; I mean the pains he took to instruct mankind, and particularly in forming the youth of Athens.

He seemed, says Libanius, the common father of the republic, so attentive was he to the happiness and advantage of his whole country. But as it is very difficult to correct the aged, and to make people change principles who revere the errors in which they have grown grey, he devoted his labours principally to the instruction of youth, in order to sow the seeds of virtue in a soil more fit to produce the fruits of it.

He had no open school like the rest of the philosophers, nor set times for his lessons. He had no benches prepared, nor ever mounted a professor's chair. He was the philosopher of all times and seasons. He taught in all places, and upon all occasions; in walking, conversation, at meals, in the army, and in the midst of the camp, in the public assemblies of the

* Sócrates in omnibus fere sermonibus sic disputat, ut nihil affirmet ipse, refellat alios: nihil se scire dicat, nisi id ipsum, eoque præstare cæteris, quod illi, quæ nesciant, scire se putent; ipse se nihil seire. id unum sciat, ob eamque rem se arbitrari ab Apolline om. nium sapientissimum esse dictum, quod hæc esset una omnis sapien. tia, non arbitrari se scire quod nesciat. Cic. acad. quæst. 1. i. n. 15 In Apol. Socrat. p. 641.. Plut. an seni sit. ger. resp. p. 796.

16.

*

senate or people, in prison itself; and when he drank the poi son, he philosophised, says Plutarch, and instructed mankind. And from thence the same judicious author takes occasion to establish a great principle in point of government, which Seneca before him had placed in all its light. To be a publie man, says he, it is not necessary to be actually in office, to wear the robe of judge or magistrate, and to sit in the highest tribunals for the administration of justice. Many do this, who, though honoured with the fine names of orators, prætors, and senators, if they want the merit of those characters,. ought to be regarded as private persons, and often confounded with the lowest and vilest of the populace. But whoever knows to give wise counsels to those who consult him, to animate the citi zens to virtue, and to inspire them with sentiments of probity, equity, generosity, and love of their country; this is, says Plutarch, the true magistrate and ruler, in whatsoever condi tion or place he be.

Such was Socrates. The services he did the state, by the Instructions he gave their youth and the disciples he formed,» are inexpressibly great. Never had master a greater number, or só illustrious. Plato, though alone, were worth a multitude. +Upon the point of death he blessed and thanked God for three things that he had endued him with a rational soul, that he was born a Greek, and not a barbarian, and that he had placed his birth in the lifetime of Socrates. Xenophon had the same advantage. It is said, that one day Socrates met him in the street, and stopping him with his staff, asked him whe ther he knew where provisions were sold? It was not difficult to answer this question. But Socrates having demanded in what place men learned virtue, and seeing this second question put him to a stand: "If you desire to know it," continued: the philosopher, "follow me, and you shall be informed." Which he did immediately, and was afterwards the first who collected and published his master's discourses.

pecu

* Habet ubi se etiam in privatò late explicet magnus animus.→ Ita, delituerit (vir ille) ut ubicunque otium suum absconderit, prod esse velit et singulis et universis, ingenio, voce, consilio. Nec enim. is solus reip. prodest, qui candidatos extrahit, et tuetur reos, et de pace belloque censet, sed qui juventutem exhortatur, qui in tanta bonorum præceptorum inopià virtute instruit animos, qui ad niam luxuriamque cursu ruentes prensat ac retrahit, et si nihil aliud certe moratur, in privato publicum negotium agit. An ille plus.. prestat, qui inter peregrinos et cives, aut urbanos prætor adeuntibus adsessors verba pronunciat ; quam qui docet, quid sit justitia, quid patientia, quid fortitudo, quid mortis contemptis, quid deorum intellectus, quum gratuitum bonum sit conscientia? Senec, de tranquil. Diog. in Xenoph, p. 129.

anim. c. iii.

Plut. in Mario. p. 433.

* Aristippus, upon a conversation with Ischomachus, in which he had introduced some strokes of Socrates's doctrine, conceived so ardent a passion to become his disciple, that he grew lean and wan in effect of it, till he could go to the fountain-head, and imbibe his fill of a philosophy that taught the knowledge and cure of evil.

What is reported of Euclid the Megarian, explains still better how high the passion of Socrates's disciples ran, to receive the benefit of his instructions. There was at that time an open war between Athens and Megara, which was carried on with so much animosity, that the Athenians obliged their generals to take an oath to lay waste the territory of Megara twice a-year, and prohibited the Megarians to set foot in Attica, upon pain of death. This decree could not extinguish nor sus pend the zeal of Euclid. He left his city in the evening in the disguise of a woman, with a veil upon his head, and came to the house of Socrates in the night, where he continued till the approach of day, when he returned in the same, manner he

came.

The ardour of the young Athenians to follow him was incredible. They left father and mother, and renounced all parties of pleasure, to attach themselves to him, and to hear his discourses. We may judge of this in the example of Alcibiades, the most ardent and fiery of all the Athenians. The philosopher, however, never spared him, and was always ready to calm the sallies of his passions, and to rebuke his pride, which was his great disease. I have before, related some instances of this temper of his. One day when Alcibiades was boasting of his wealth, and the great estates in his possession, which ge nerally blow up the pride of young people of quality, he car ried him to a geographical map, and asked him to find Attica. It was so small it could scarce be discerned upon that draught; he found it, however, though with some difficulty: but upon being desired to point out his own estate there: "It is too "small," says he, "to be distinguished in so little a space." "See then," replied Socrates, "how much you are affected "about an imperceptible point of land." This reasoning might have been urged much further still. For what was Attica compared to all Greece, Greece to Europe, Europe to the whole world, and the world itself to the vast extent of the infinite orbs which surround it? What an insect, what a nothing, is the most powerful prince of the earth in the midst of this abyss of bodies and immense spaces, and how little of it does he occupy!

* Plut. de curios. p. 516.

Aul, Gel. Noct. Art. 1. vi. c. 10,

Plut. in Pericl. p. 108 § Ælian. 1. iii. c. 28,

The young people of Athens, dazzled with the glory of Themistocles, Cimon, and Pericles, and full of a wild ambition, after having received for some time the lessons of the sophists, who promised to make them very great politicians, conceived themselves capable of every thing, and aspired at the highest employments. *One of these, named Glauco, had taken it so strongly into his head to enter upon the administration of the public affairs, though not 20 years old, that none of his family or friends were able to divert him from a design so little consistent with his age and capacity. Socrates, who had an af fection for him upon account of Plato his brother, was the only person that could prevail upon him to change his resolution.

Meeting him one day, he accosted him so happily with dis course, that he engaged him to give him the hearing. "Yous "are desirous then to govern the republic," said he to him.. "True," replied Glauco. "You cannot have a more noble ❝design," answered Socrates: " for if you succeed, you will "have it in your power to serve your friends effectually, to "aggrandise your family, and to extend the confines of your "country. You will make yourself known not only to "Athens, but throughout all Greece, and perhaps your re "nown, like that of Themistocles, may spread abroad amongst "the barbarous nations. In short, wherever you are, you will "attract the respect and admiration of the whole world."

So smooth and insinuating a prelude was extremely pleasing to the young man, who was taken by his blind side. He staid willingly, gave no occasion to press him on that account, and the conversations continued. Since you desire to be "esteemed and honoured, no doubt your view is to be useful "to the public?" "Certainly," "Tell me then, I beg you.

in the name of the gods, what is the first service you propose "to render to the state?" As Glauco seemed at a loss, and meditated upon what he should answer: "I presume," continues Socrates, "it is to enrich it, that is to say, to augment its re❝ venues." "My very thought.". "You are well versed "then undoubtedly in the revenues of the state, and know "perfectly to what they may amount: You have not failed to "make them your particular study, in order that if a fund "should happen to fail by an unforeseen accident, you might "be able to supply the deficiency by another." "I protest, replied Glauco, "that never entered into my thoughts." "At least you will tell me to what the expences of the re"public amount; for you must know the importance of re "trenching such as are superfluous." "I own I am as little"informed in this point as the other." "You must there fore "refer your design of enriching the state till another time.

Xenoph. Memorab. 1. iii. p. 772-77.4

22.