with more warmth than became a man in An Account of the laft Day of the Life of So crates. [From Dr. Gillies's History of Gresce.] 7HEN the fatal veffel arrived in the bly precious." Socrates affumed a tone Having arrived at the prifon-gate, they were defired to wait without, because the Eleven (fo the delicacy of Athens ftyled the executioners of public juftice) anloofed the fetters of Socrates, and announced to him his death before the fetting of the fun. They had not waited long when they were defired to enter. They found Socrates juft relieved from the weight of his bonds, attended by his wife Xantippe, who bore in her arms his infant fon. At their appearance the exclaimed, Alas! Socrates, here come your friends, whom you for the laft time behold, and who for the laft time behold you!" Socrates look W harbour of Sunium, and was hourly ing at Crito, defired fome one to conduct expected in the Piræus, Crito, the most confidential of the difciples of Socrates, firft brought the melancholy intelligènce; and, moved by the near danger of his admired friend, ventured to propofe a clandeftine cape, fhewing him at the fame time that he had collected a fun of money to corrupt the fidelity of his keepers. This unmanby propofal, which nothing but the undiftinguithing ardour of his friendship could excak, Socrates anfwered in a vein of pleafantry, which fhewed the perfect freedom of his mind; " In what country, O Crito, can I efcape death? Where fhall I Яy to elude this irrevocable doom, passed on all human kind?" To Apollodorus, a man of no great depth of understanding, but his afa fectionate and zealous admirer, who faid, That what grieved him beyond measure that fuch a man should perish unjustly," ■ he replied, ftroking the head of his friend, t. And would you be lefs grieved, O ApolJodorus! were I deferving of death" When bis friends, and Crito especially, intfited, "That it would be no les ungenerous ethan imprudent, in compliance with the hchafty refolution of a malignant or misguided multitude, to render his wife a widow, his plchildren orphans, his difciples for ever mifedemble and forlorn, and conjured him, by thing facred, to fave a life fo inefima her home. She departed beating her breaft, and lamenting with that clamorous forrow natural to her sex and her character. Socrates, meanwhile, reclining on the couch with his ufual compofure, drew his leg towards him, and gently rubbing the part which had been galled by the fetters, remarked the wonderful connection between what men call pleasure, and its opposite, pain. The one fenfation, he obferved (as juft happened to his leg after being delivered from the finart of the irons, was generally followed by the other. Neither could long exift apart; they are feldom pure and unmixed; and whoever feels the one, may be fure that he will foon feel the "I think, that had fop the faother. bulift made this reflection, he would have faid, that the Divinity, defirous to recone cile thefe oppofite natures, but finding the defign inpracticable, had at least joined their fummits; for which reafon pleasure has ever fince dragged pain after it, and pain pleasure." The mention of Afop recalled to Cebes, the Theban, a conversation which he had recently had with Enenus of Paros, a celebrated elegiac poet, then refident in Athens. The poet afked Cebes, "Why his mafter, who had never before addicted himself to poetry, fhould face his confinement have written Account of the laft Day of the Life of Socrates. written a hymn to Apollo, and turned into verfe feveral of fop's fables ?" The Theban feized the prefent opportunity to fatisfy himself in this particular, and to acsaire fuch information as might fatisfy himfelf in particular, and to acquire fuch information as might fatisfy Euenus, who, he alhared Socrates, would certainly repeat his queftion. The illuftrious Sage, whofe inimitable virtues were all tinged, or rather brightened, by enthufiafm, defired Cebes to tell Euenus, "That it was not with a view to rival him, or with a hope to excel his poetry (for that he knew, would not be edy), that he had begun late in life this new purkiit. He had attempted it in compliance with a divine mandate, which frequently commanded him in dreams to cultivate mufic. He had, therefore, firft applied to philofophy, thinking that the greateft mufic; but fince he was under fentence of death, he judged it fafeft to try likewile the popular mufic, left any thing fhould on his part be omitted which the gods had enjoined him. For this reafon, he had compofed a hymn to Apollo, whofe feftival was now celebrating; and not being himself a mythologift, had verfified fuch fables of Efop as happened moft readily to occur to his memory. Tell this to Euenus-bid him farewel; and farther, that if he is wife, he will follow me; for I depart, as it is likely, to-day; fo the Athenians have ordered it.' The left words introduced an important converfation concerning fuicide, and the immortality of the foul. Socrates maintained, that though it was better for a wife man to die than to live, because there was reafon to believe, that he would be happier in a future than in the prefent ftate of exiftence, yet it could never be allowable to perifh by his own hand, or even to lay down life without a fufficient motive, fuch as that which influenced himself, a refpectful fubmiffion to the laws of his country. This interefting difcafion confumed the greateft part of the day. Socrates encouraged his difciples not to fpare his opinions, from delicacy to his prefeat fituation. These who were of his mind he exhorted to perfevere. Entwining his hand in the long hair of Phædo, "Thefe beautiful locks, my dear Phædo, you will this day cut off; but were I in your place I would not again allow them to grow, but make avow (as the Argives did in a matter of infinitely lefs moment) never to refume the wonted ornament of my beauty, until I had confirmed the doctrine of the foul's immortality." The arguments of Socrates convinced and confoled his difciples, as they have often done the learned and virtuous in fucceeding times. "Thofe who had adorned, their minds with temperance, juftice, and fortitude, 191 and had defpifed the vain ornaments and vain pleasures of the body, could never regret their feparation from this terreftrial companion. And now," continued he, in the language of tragedy, the destined hour fummons me to death; it is almoft time to bathe, and furely it will be better that I myfelf, before I drink the poifon, fhould perform this operation, than occafion unneceffary trouble to the women after I am dead." "So let it be," faid Crito; but first inform us, Socrates, in what we can do you pleasure, respecting your children, or any other concern." Nothing new, O Crito! but what I have always told you. By confulting your own happiness, you will act the best part with regard to my children, to me, and to all mankind? although you bind not yourselves by any new promife. But if you forfake the rules of virtue, which we have just endeavoured to explain, you will benefit neither my children, nor asy with whom you live, although you should now fwear to the contrary.' Crito then asked him, "How he chofe to be buried?" As you pleafe, provided I don't escape you." Saying this, he fmiled, adding, that as to his body, they might bury it as feemed moft decent, and moft suitable to the laws of his country. He then retired into the adjoining chamber, accompanied only by Crito; the reft remained behind, like children mourning a father. When he had bathed and dressed, his fons (one grown up, and two children), together with his female relations, were admitted to him. He conversed with them in the prefence of Crito, and then returned to his difciples near fun-fet, for he tarried long within. Before he had time to begin any new fubject, the keeper of the prifon entered, and standing near Socrates, "I cannot," faid he, " accufe you, "O Socrates of the rage and execrations too often vented against me by thofe here confined, to whom, by command of the Magiftrates, I announce that it is time to drink the poifon. Your fortitude, mildness, and generofity, exceed all that I have ever witneffed; even now I know you pardon me, fince I act by compulfion; and as you are acquainted with the purpose of my meffage, farewel, and bear your fate with as much patience as poffible." At thefe words the executioner, hardened as he was in fcenes of death, diffolved in tears, and turning from Socrater, went out. The latter following him with his eye, replied, "And you also farewel; as to me, I fhall obey your inftruc tions." Then looking at his difciples, "How truly polite," faid he, "is the man! During my confinement, he often vifites and converfed with me; and now, how generously does he lament my death death! But let the poifon be brought, that we may obey his orders." Crito then faid, "Still, O Socrates! there is time; the fun ftill brightens the tops of the mountains. Many have I known, who have drank the poifon late in the night, after a luxuriant fupper and generous wines, and laftly, after enjoying the embraces of thofe with whom they were enamoured. But haften not; it is yet time." "With good reafon," faid Socrates, "these perfons did what you say, because they believed the reby to be gainers; and with good reason I fhall act otherwife, because I am convinced that I should gain nothing but ridicule by an overanxious folicitude for life when it is juft ready to leave me." Crito then made a fign to the boy, who waited; he went, ground the hemlock, and returned with him who was to adminifter it. Socrates perceiving his arrival," tell me," faid he, "for you are experienced in fuch matters, what have I to do?" "Nothing farther than to walk in the apartment till your limbs feel heavy; then repose yourself on the couch." Socrates then taking the cup in his hand, and looking at him with ineffable ferenity, "Say, as to this beverage, is it lawful to employ any part of it in libation?" The other replied," There is no more than what is proper to drink." " But it is proper,' rejoined Socrates," and neceffary, if we would perform our duty, to pray the gods, that our paffage hence may be fortunate." So faying, he was filent for a moment, and then drank the poifon with an unaltered countenance. With a mixture of gentlenefs and authority, he filled the noify lamentations of his friends, faying, that in order to avoid fuch unmanly complaints, he had before difmiffed the women. As the poifon began to gain his vitals, he uncovered his face, and faid to Crito, "We owe a cock to Æfculapius; facrifice it, and neglect it not." Crito afked, if he had any thing further to command? But he made no reply. A little after he was in agony: Crito hut his eyes. Thus died Socrates; whom, his difciples declared, they could never cease to remember, nor, remembering, ceafe to admire. "If any man," fays Xenophon inimitably, if any man, a lover of virtue, ever found a more profitable companion than Socrates, I deem that man the happiest of human kind.” Patriotifm and Revenge united. the city of Bidderman, among the reft, became a prey to the victors. Thus difpoffeffed of his paternal city, our unfortunate governor was obliged to feek refuge from the neighbouring princes, who were as yet unfubdued: and he for fome time lived in a state of wretched dependance among them. Soon, however, his love to his native country brought him back to his own city, resolve ed to rcfcue it from the enemy, or fall in the attempt. Thus in difguife he went among the inhabitants, and endeavoured, but in · vain, to excite them to revolt. Former miffortunes lay fo heavily on their minds, that they rather chose to suffer the most cruel bondage than attempt to affert their former freedom. As he was thus one day employed, whether from information, or by fufpicion, is not known, he was apprehended by a Saracen foldier as a spy, and brought before the very tribunal at which he once prefided. The account he gave of himself, was by no means fatisfactory: he could produce no friends to vindicate his character. But as the Saracens knew not their prifoner, and as they had no direct proofs against him, they were content with condemning him to be publicly whipped as a vagabond. The execution of this fentence was accordingly performed with the utmoft rigour: Bidderman was bound to the poft; the executioner feeming difpofed to add to the cruelty of the fentence, as he received no bribe for lenity. Whenever Bidderman groaned under the fcourge, the other, only redoubling his blows, cried out, Does the villain murmur! If Bidderman intreated but a moment's refpite from torture, the other repeated his former exclamation, Does the villain murmur! From this period, revenge, as well as patriotifm, took entire poffeffion of his foul. His fury flooped fo low, as to follow the executioner with unremitting resentment. But conceiving that the beft method to attain thefe ends, was to acquire fome eminence in the city, he laid himself out to oblige his new mafters, ftudied every art, and practifed every meanness that ferve to promote the needy, or render the poor pleafing; and by thefe means, in a few years, he came to be of fome note in the city, which justly belonged to him. The executioner was therefore, the first object of his refentment, and he even prac as tuge he owed fraud, to piece of that, venge him. A plate, which Bidderman had previously ftolen from the Saracen governor, he privately conveyed into the executioner's houfe, and then gave information of the theft. The proof was direct in this cafe: the executioner had with their armie., and penetrated as far even as Antwerp, Bidderman was lord of a city, which time has fince fwept into deftruction. As the inhabitants of this country were divided under separate leaders, Le Saracens found an eafy conqueft, and nothing 1786. Elay on Dreams. nothing to offer in his own defence, and he was therefore condemned to be beheaded, upon a scaffold in the public market-place. As there was no executioner in the city, but the very man who now was to fuffer, Bidderman himself undertook this, to him, moft agrecable office. The criminal was conducted from the judgment feat, bound with cords. The fcaffold was erected, and he placed in fuch a manner, as might be moft convenient for the blow. But his death alone was not fufficient to fatisfy the refentment of this extraordinary man, unless it was aggravated with every circumftance of cruelty. Wherefore, coming upon the fcaffold, and difpofing every thing in readiness for the intended blow, with the fword in his hand, he approached the criminal, and whifpering in a low voice affured him, that he himself was the very perfon that had once been used with fo much cruelty; that to his knowledge, he died very innocently, for the plate had been ftolen by himself, and privately conveyed into the house of the other. O my countrymen, cried the criminal, do you hear what this man fays?-Does the villain murmur? replied Bidderman, and immediately at one blow fevered his head from his body. Still, however, he was not content, till he had ample vengeance of the governors of the city, who condemned him. To effect this, he hired a small houfe, adjoining to the town wall, under which he every day dug, and carried out the earth in a bafket. In this unremitting labour he continued feveral years, every day digging a little, and carrying the earth unfufpected away. By this means, at laft, he made a fecret communication from the country into the city, and only wanted the appearance of an enemy, in order to betray it. This opportunity, at length, offered: the French army came into the neighbourhood, but had no thoughts of fitting down before a town, which they looked on as impregnable. Bidderman, however, foon altered their refolutions, and upon communicating his plan to the general, he embraced it with ardour. Through the private paffage above-mentioned, he introduced a large body of the most refolute foldiers, who foon opened the gates for the reft, and the whole army rufhing in, put every Saracen that was found to the (word. Efay on Dreams. Scribit amatori meretrix, dat adultera munus, Et canis in fomnis leporis veftigia latrat. PETRON. When dreams defcend to prompt a future bride, And grant thofe joys, by abfent love denied, Hib. Mag. April, 1786. 183 The treacherous harlot fends her wanton flame, And the keen hound pursues the trembling game. near to abfent reality, as the fenfations HERE is nothing that approaches fo we feel during our relaxation from business and the world; we are worked upon by the apprehenfion of fomething good or evil, which prefents itself to our imagination in fuch ftrong and lively colours, as frequently to exceed what reality itself could have painted. This impreffion upon the human nind is the more aftonishing, when confidered as the representation of what never has, and perhaps never can, happen, of things unnatural and unprecedented. To discover the hidden caufe which affects our beings during this ftate of fecond nature would be impoffible; and to enquire into its variety of effects equally abfurd; fince all things unknown and fupernatural can only be attributed to that Providence under whose protection we efcape thofe perils we are hourly exposed to, and upon whofe private myfteries even conjecture would be impious. Nevertheless, to be terrified with the mere delufions of fancy, is the most eminent characteristic of a mind fwollen up in credulity, and even tinctured with the blindness of fuperftition. This indeed is a happinefs for us, that we feldom find even credulity diftinguifhed in thofe to whom, as individuals, it would be moftly injurious; I mean, in men of genius and learning. It is commonly received and practifed among the vulgar part of mankind, whose birth and ignorance contribute to the propagation of fo pernicious an evil. It may, perhaps, be fometimes difcoverable in thofe of more enlightened faculties; and I have had many reafons to fufpect that nothing, except his morality, more confpicuously marked the character of a ve❤ ry late eminent and able writer, whofe merit, prejudice, and fingularities, I fhall make the fubject of fome future paper. However deeply the mind may be affected in the very moment of its imaginary occupations, however fenfibly the objects may be delineated, and their characters reprefented; I fcarcely remember an inftance where the perfon, having awaked from his trance, could recollect more than half the circumftances which, but a moment before, had been fo ftrongly reprefented to his imagination. Some indeed are more forcibly impreffed than others; and fome, in their very nabered, and minutely defcribed, than others. ture, more capable of being clearly rememA friend of mine once informed me of a circumftance, the fact of which I should ftrongly be induced to miftruft, had I ever had the leaft reason to doubt the veracity or honour of my author. He told me, that Bb having having fat up late one evening in the enjoy ment of his favourite amufement, and the interim of many a vacant hour, the worship of the Mufes he left them fuddenly, while his imagination was yet warm, and his genius in its full vigour, in order to repofe himself during the remaining part of the night. He had not long been in bed when he fell into a found fleep; and, during this ftate, his poetical fancy framed fix or eight couplets, but the emotions he felt as foon as he had finished the laft line, And lull'd her foft bofom on mine, inftantly awoke him. In attempting to repeat them, he fucceeded to a degree almoft incredibie, without forgetting a fingle fyllable. Perceiving it to be moon-light, he raised himself on his bed, and reaching his pocket-book from out of his coat-pocket, attempted to pencil them; but, alas! his ideas were confufed, his poetry forgotten, and the very thought vanished from his head; he could neither trace the rhyme of a fingle verfe, nor recollect the the fmalleft particle of his fancy-woven compofition, except the line mentioned above, which being fo effective as to awake him in the midst of a dream, was alfo fufficiently effective to be retained in his memory. This is the only inftance I ever remember to have met with of an ability to compofe and methodically digeft, while the mind is abftracted from its reafon, and the ideas loft in themselves. The unexpected abruptnefs with which the verfes thus framed were fnatched from his memory, may be a convincing proof of the volatility and infignificancy of dreams; they are in deed, when confidered with vifions, fo oppofite in their nature, and fo trifling in their confequence, that a moment's reflection may be fufficient to convict the falfeft fophifm, and expose the blindeft fuperftition. But, among the lower fpecies of mankind, who have neither reafon nor reflection for their guide, this contagion has fpread itself with fuch unbounded rage, fo maftered their affections, and fo influenced the whole tenor of their actions, that with them conviction itself. ftands unfupported by approbation, and reafon gives way to prejudice and fancy. It may, perhaps, by fome be thought of very little confequence whatever meafures this community may purfue, and whatever prejudices their ignorance may incur; but this is a falfe notion. The fecurity and welfare of a state depends not fo much upon the caprice of its immediate governors, as upon the difpofitions and inclinations of the greater part of its fubjects. The number of thofe temporary magiftrates who prefide at the helm of government, is nothing when compared to that of the poorer populace. It is true, the power of thofe extends itself to all ranks of people, and can do more execution in one hour than whole ages can be able to re-place; while the power of thefe (if they have any power at all) is aonfined by certain rules, and limited to a few individuals only. But authority in the clutches of a people violent in their motions, inconceivable in their numbers, and ftubborn in their refolves, would be little more than a chicken in the claws of an eagle; it could neither enforce obedience, nor expect mercy. Since then the vulgar part of mankind is by far the most numerous and refolute, is it not evident that, were an infurrection to take place among them, they could effect more by force than authority, and more by example than all the threats of magiftrates? For this reafon, particular care should be taken to eradicate the growing evil of credulity, while in its infant ftate, from the minds of our common people, left, by the cultivation of so many thoufands, fkilful to cherish, and able to preferve, every tender bud from the blasts of reafon, and the attacks of learning, it grow to mature fuperftition, and spread itself over the whole globe in fuch luxuriance as neither authority nor time can deftroy. Should this ever be the cafe, that govermnent, at prefent established upon fuch firm principles, and swayed by fuch wife and able ministers, muft become the nursery of ignorance, and the dupe of fuperftition. But here I could wifh a proper diftinction to be obferved between the chimeras of the brain, and real visions. They bear, in fact, fo little refemblance to each other in any of their circumftances, that, while I am treating upon dreams, no perfon can be fo unreafonable as to fuppofe, under that species, I include those kind of vifions, which, as they appear fo rarely, and upon fuch extraordi nary occafions, are manifeftly the effect of fome fupernatural caufe. It is certain that no perfon can pretend to dispute the reality of that which our eyes have openly attefted. For vifions do not affect our imagination only in the moments of found fleep, in the fame manner as dreams do, but appear to us either while we are in that ftate of dofing liftleffnefs, which neither utterly excludes us from the feelings and paffions of human nature, nor totally expoles us to the perception of outward and inactive objects. Or they appear while we are openly awake. The former, perhaps, may be the reason why they infuie fuch a terror into the mind of the waking perfon; he is fuddenly roufed from his ftupidity by fomething which inflantly ftrikes him with the idea of what is commonly termed a ghoft. Thus, without a moment for reflection or compofure, his paffions may be fo difordered, that neither time can wear off the impression, nor me dicine |