being fufpected that Sir Robert Walpole,, who was then prime minifter, was defirous of extending the limits of prerogative, and of promoting the intereft of Hanover, at the expence of England, foon interrupt ed the good understanding which had existed between him and Sir Robert, who from that time became the object of Pultney's dreaded eloquence, poured forth in merited cenfures; and who, by the fame eloquence, was eventually driven from his high ftation, and forced to content himself with a merely honorary title.

In 1725, when the king, by the advice of his minifter, defired that a fum of money fhould be voted him by the Commons, in order to discharge the debts of the civil lift, Pultney moved that all money paid out for fecret fervices, during the laft twenty-five years fhould be accounted for to the house. This motion opened a breach between the two minifters which was never closed up, and which two years afterwards, broke out into open invectives. Their mutual oppofit tion became at length fo unpleasant to the king, that on the first of July 1731, he called for the council-book and with his own hand erafed the name of William Pultney, Efq. from the list of privy-councellors; and he further ordered that all commiffions for the peace, and all deputations which he had received from the fe veral lords-lieutenants, fhould be revoked; and the lord-chancellor and fecretaries of State received directions to give the necessary orders.

This violent proceeding ferved only to ftimulate his oppofition to the measures of the court, and to increase his popularity in the country. Some time after this, he made that celebrated speech, so highly esteemed by his friends, and fo justly dreaded by his enemies; in which the miniftry was compared to an empiric, and the British Conftitution to his patient..

Thus he continued to attack the ministerial measures with an eloquence and fatire which filenced every opponent, and occafioned even Sir Robert to declare that he dreaded Puluney's tongue more than another

man's fword. In 1738, the oppofition ran fo high, that several members, finding party-zeal had. ufurped the empire of reafon, openly left the houfe. This was a step fo extraordinary, that Pultney thought proper to attempt to vindicate it. For this purpose he published a fhort sketch of the transaction, in which, after briefly ftating the motives which prompted the members to withdraw, he fo artfully mingled found argument with keen invective against the minifter's conduct, that the king himself was staggered. This paved the way for a motion to remove Sir Robert Walpole from the miniftry; a measure which was advocated by Pultney as the only means of faving the country from the evils of a rebellion. The removal of a minifter, such as Sir Robert, who had acquired a powerful afcendancy over his fovereign, could not be effected without much labor and a confiderable length of time. However, in 1741, Sir Robert, finding his office untenable, prudently refigned all his employments, and was created earl of Oxford. His opponents alfo were flattered with the hopes of promotion. Pultney himself was chofen a member of the privy-council, and foon afterwards created earl of Bath.

From that time his popularity was loft. He had long been regarded as the strongest bulwark against the encroachments of the crown; but from the moment he accepted a title, his influence with the people was en. tirely deftroyed: he was denounced as a hypocrite, and all his oppofition to the miniftry was confidered only as a trick to preserve the favor of the people, until he should have fecured that of the king. Soon after receiving his title, he retired to his country feat, and fpent the remainder of his life in contempt of that applause which he could no longer obtain. He died June 8, 1764, without iffue, his only fon having died fome time before in Portugal. His title, therefore became extinct, and the paternal estate devolved on his brother, lieutenant-general Pultney. William Pultney wrote the principal part of the piece entitled "The

Craftsman," and was the author of feveral other political pamphlets. As a popular writer, he ftood unrival led among his cotemporaries.

PYTHAGORAS, one of the most celebrated of the ancients for wifdom and learning, was defcended in a direct line from Numa, according to Dionyffius of Halicarnaffus, from whom he was diftant four defcents, and was born about 590 years before Chrift, that is, near the 47th Olympiad. His father, Mnemarchus of Samos, was a graver, and fold rings and other toys. During the feast of Delphi, he and his wife foon after their marriage, went there for the purpose of felling their goods. While he remained there, he received an oraular relponce from Apollo, which was to this effect, that if he embarked for Syria, the voyage would prove fortunate to him, and that his wife would there give birth to a fon, who fhould be famed for beauty and wifdom, and whofe life would prove a bleffing to future ages. Mnemarchus obeyed the oracle, and Pythagoras was born at Sidon. He was foon afterwards carried to Samos, where he was educated agreeably to the high expectations which were entertained of him. He was called "the youth with the fine head of hair." He early manifefted that his mind was endowed with great qualities, and therefore. was foon confidered as a good genius fent down for the reformation and happiness of mankind.

His thirst for knowledge was fo ardent that he foon exhausted the small fund of philosophy at Samos, and at the age of eighteen, refolved to travel in queft of a new supply. He firft went to the island of Syros to vifit Perecydes. Thence he went to Miletus, where he difcoursed with Thales. From Miletus he went to Phenicia, and thence to Sidon, the place of his birth, where he remained fome time. From Sidon he vifited Egypt which Solon and Thales had vifited before

him. He was kindly received by Amafis, king of Egypt, who, after having entertained him fometime.at his court, gave him letters of recommendation to the priefts of Heliopolis. The Egyptians were jealous of their fciences, infomuch that they rarely imparted them to ftrangers, nor even to their own countrymen, till they had been compelled to pass through the molt fevere probations. The clergy of Heliopolis, fent him to thofe of Memphis; and likewife directed him to the ancients of Diofpolis, who, fearing to difobey the king, and fill unwilling to infringe their own laws and customs, received Pythagoras into a kind of noviciate, fuppofing he might foon be deterred from further purfuits by the rigorous rules and ceremonies which was a very neceffary introduction to their myfteries. They were however deceived: Pythagoras with undaunted patience went through all, even so far as to admit the circumcifion, if we may believe fome authors.

After his having spent twenty-five years in Egypt, he determined on vifiting Babylon, Crete, and Sparta, with an intention of making himfelf acquainted with the laws of Minos and Lycurgus. He then returned to Samos, but finding that place under the tyrant Polycrates, he again left it and travelled through the countries of Greece. Going through Peloponnefus, he ftopped at Phletus, where Leo then governed; and in his converfation with that prince, fpoke with fo much eloquence and wifdom, that Leo was at once delighted and furprifed. From Peloponnefus he paf fed into Italy, and fettled at Croton, where the inha bitants having fuffered great lofs in a battle with the Loerians, degenerated from induftry and courage, inte foftnefs and effeminacy. Pythagoras by preaching, however, completely reformed the manners of the ci tizens, and again established the city by wife and prudent counfels, bethought himfelf of laying fome foun dation of the wifdom he profeffed; and, in order the more effectually to establish his fect, opened a fchool which was vifited by a great number of difciples. He

delivered many excellent lectures concerning God and the human foul, and a vast variety of precepts relative to the conduct of life, political as well as civil; he likewife made great difcoveries and advances in the arts and sciences. Thus, among his works, there are not only books of phyfic and morality, like that contained in what is called his "Golden Verfes," but tracts on politics and theology. We grieve that all thofe valuable works are loft; but the vastness of his mind, and the greatness of his parts, appear from the wonderful things that he performed. He delivered feveral cities of Italy and Sicily from the galling yoke of flavery; and appeafed feditions in others; he foftened the manners, and brought to temper, the moft unruly and favage humors of different people and different tyrants.

Pythagoras was a great advocate for matrimony, and therefore, took to himself at Croton, the beauti ful Theano, daughter of Brontinus, a principal chief of that city. He had by her two fons, Amneftus and Telauges; the laft of which, fucceeded his father in his fchool, and was the mafter of Empedocles. He likewife had one daughter whom he named Damo: the was diftinguished by her extenfive learning, as well as her virtues, and wrote an excellent commentary on Homer. Hiftory informs us that Pythagoras gave her fome writings, with exprefs commands not to expose them to any but his own family; to which Damo was fo fcrupuloufly obedient, that, even when fhe was in the greatest want of the neceffaries of life, the reiufed a great fum of money, which was offered her for them.

Pythagoras was perfecuted in the last years of his life, and died a tragical death. In Croton, there was a young man called Cylon, whofe opulence and noble birth had fo puffed him up with pride, that he thought he fhould be conferring an honcir on Pythagoras by becoming his difciple. This great philofopher, did not by exterior appearances measure the merits of men,and