and allies, after exceeding by their public acts in his favour the highest honours that are usually paid to human virtue, testified their regard for him still more sensibly by the sincerest sorrow. For it is said, that those who were in the action neither put off their armour, nor unbridled their horses, nor bound up their wounds, after they heard that he was dead; but notwithstanding their heat and fatigue repaired to the body, as if it still had life and sense, piled round it the spoils of the enemy, and cut off their horses' manes and their own hair.(2) Many of them, when they retired to their tents, neither kindled a fire, nor took any refreshment; but a melancholy silence reigned throughout the camp, as if, instead of having gained so signal and glorious a victory, they had been worsted and enslaved by the tyrant.

When the intelligence was carried to the towns, the magistrates, young men, children, and priests, marched out to meet the body with trophies, crowns, and golden armour: and when the time of his interment was come, some of the oldest Thessalians went and begged of the Thebaus, that they might have the honour of burying him. One of them expressed himself in these terms: "What we request of you, our good allies, will be an honour and a consolation to us under this heavy misfortune. It is not the living Pelopidas, whom the Thessalians desire to attend; it is not to Pelopidas sensible of their gratitude, that they would now pay the due honours: all we ask is the permission to wash, to adorn, and to inter his dead body. And, if we obtain this favour, we shall believe you are persuaded, that we think our share in the common calamity greater than yours. You have lost only a good general, but we are so unhappy as to be deprived both of him, and of our liberty. For how shall we presume to ask you for another general, when we have not restored to you Pelopidas?"

The Thebans granted their request. And surely there never was a more magnificent funeral, at least in the opinion of those that do not place magnificence in ivory and gold and purple, as Philistus(a) did, who dwells in admiration upon Dionysius'

Kupu da i85, x Jai Sa x 185. A customary token of mourning among the ancients. See a former note. See also Kuster De vero visu Verborum Mediorum i. 6. ii. 1. where he accurately distinguishes between the meanings of the active and middle of the verb here employed. An instance, more happily illustrative of his theory, could no where be found.

a This writer successively served under both the Dionysii, and being defeated by Dion, killed lamself. See the Life of Timoleon, Vol. II. not. c.*.

SAMOJE9

funeral; though this, properly speaking, was nothing but the pompous catastrophe of that dismal tragedy, his tyranny. Alexander the Great also, upon the death of Hephaestion, not? only had the manes of the horses and mules shorn, but caused the battlements of the walls to be taken down that the very!! cities might seem to mourn, by losing their ornaments, and having the appearance of being shorn and soiled with grief.5 These things being the effects of arbitrary orders executed through necessity, and attended both with envy of those for! whom they are done, and hatred of those who command them, are not proofs of esteem and respect, but of barbarie ? pomp and luxury and vanity, in those who lavish their wealth d to such frivolous and despicable purposes. (b) But that a man! who was only one of the subjects of a republic, dying in a strange country, neither his wife nor children nor kinsmen › present, without the request or command of any one, should be attended home, conducted to the grave, sand crowned, by so many cities and tribes, might justly pass for an instance of the most perfect happiness. For the observation of Æsop is not true, that Death is most unfortunate in the time of pros-1 perity;' on the contrary, it is then most happy, since it se-to cures to good men the glory of their virtuous actions, and places them above the power of fortune.(c) The compliment therefore of the Spartan was much more rational, when emss bracing Diagoras, after he and his sons and grandsons had alla conquered and been crowned at the Olympic games, he said; "Die now, Diagoras,(d) for thou canst not be a god." And yet I think, if a man should put all the victories in the Olymb pian and Pythian games together, he would not pretend to compare them with any one of the enterprises of Pelopidas,d which were numerous and all successful; so that after he had w spent the chief part of his life in honour and renown, and had A been appointed the thirteenth time governor of Bœotia, bes 2901.tab pried secure qusic of saci pacca 194 ¿ How much more sublimely Bossuet, in his Funeral Oration d upon the prince de Conde : Ces colonnes, qui semblent porter jusqu'ausv ciel le magnifique temoignage de notre neant! Conformably with this principle Chærea exclaims, in a transportd of joy,

/*

Nunc tempus profecto est, cum perpeti me possum interfici,
Ne hoc gaudium contaminet vita agritudine aliqua.

• le sousybe 3 gar Jog haters Eun. iii, 5unja This Diagoras was a descendant of Hercules through the line dit of Tlepolemus, who governed Rhodes, and fell before Troy; and is the subject of Pindar's seventh Olympic ode, which the Rhodians got engraved in letters of gold upon the temple of Minerva at Lin

dus.*

died in a heroic exploit, the consequence of which was the destruction of the tyrant, and the emancipation of Thessaly.

His death, as it gave the allies great concern, so it brought them still greater advantages. For the Thebans were no sooner informed of its than prompted by a desire of revenge, they despatched upon that business seven thousand foot and seven hundred horse, under the command of Malcites and Diogiton. These finding Alexander weakened with his late defeat, and reduced to considerable difficulties, compelled him to restore the cities which he had taken from the Thessalians; to withdraw bis garrisons from the territories of the Magnesians, the Phthiotæ, and the Achæans; and to engage by oath to submit to the Thebans, and to keep his forces in readiness to execute their orders.

With these terms the Thebans were satisfied. And here I shall introduce an account of the punishment, which the gods inflicted upon him soon afterward, for his treatment of Pelopidas. He (as we have already mentioned) first taught Thebe, the tyrant's wife, not to dread the exterior pomp and splendour of his palace, though she lived in the midst of assassins and renegades. She therefore, fearing his falsehood and hating his cruelty, agreed with her three brothers Tisiphonus, Pytholaus, and Lycophron, to take him off; and they carried their design into execution in the following manner: the whole palace was full of guards throughout the night, except the tyrant's bedchamber, an upper room guarded by a dog chained at the door, which would fly at every body except his master and mistress, and one slave that fed him. When the time fixed for the attempt was come, Thebe concealed her brothers, before it was dark, in a room close by. She went in alone as usual to Alexander, who was already asleep, but presently came out again, and ordered the slave to take away the dog, because her husband chose to sleep without being disturbed; and, that the stairs might not creak as the young men came up, she covered them with wool. She then fetched up her brothers, and leaving them at the door with poniards in their hands, went into the chamber; and taking away the tyrant's sword, which hung at the head of his bed, showed it them, as a proof that he was in their power and fast asleep. The young men now being struck with terror, and not daring to advance, she reproached them with cowardice, and swore in her rage that she would awake Alexander, and tell him the whole. Shame and fear having brought them to themselves, she led them in and placed them about the bed, herself holding the light. One of them caught him by the feet, and another by the hair of his head,

while the third stabbed him with his poniard. Such a death was, perhaps, too speedy for so abominable a monster; but if it be considered, that he was the first tyrant assassinated by his own wife, and that his dead body was exposed to all kinds of indignities, and spurned and trampled under foot by his subjects, his punishment will appear to have been proportioned to his crimes.

Manners of Marcellus. His courage, and first appointments. The Gauls declare war against the Romans. The first generals sent against them are recalled. Respect entertained by the Romans for their religious rites. Marcellus is elected consul, and marches against the Gauls: engages, and kills their king. His triumph. Consecrates the spolia opima to Jupiter. Annibal invades Italy. After the fatal day at Canna, Marcellus is one of the principal supports of Rome. He marches to the relief of Naples and Nola: attaches Bandius to the Roman party: gains some advantages over Annibal: is again elected consul, and obtains fresh successes. His third consulship. Severe proceedings of the senate against the soldiers who fled at Cannæ. Marcellus take's Leontius in Sicily, and besieges Syracuse. Genius of Archimedes. Problem, which he solves for Hiero. Terrible havoc made by his engines. Marcellus fruitlessly endeavours to guard his forces from their effects. Archimedes' passion for geometry. Marcellus gains several advantages in Sicily; gets possession of Syracuse, and reluctantly gives it up to pillage. Archimedes slain: Marcellus' concern upon the occasion. His humanity. He pardons the city of Enguium: carries to Rome the pictures and statues of Syracuse; and receives the honour of an Ovation. Origin of that term. Charge brought against him by the Syracusans. His defence, and generous behaviour upon his acquittal. He marches against Annibal; and engages him with