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"rocks, and be lost? Seest thou a man travelling into a far country, "and, instead of preferring the safe and beaten path, taking his way through barren heaths, burning sands, exposed to the fury of "wild beasts and the stings of scorpions; wouldst thou not force him "to be ruled by thee?" Again : "Seest thou another preparing "to throw himself from a sharp point on one of the mountains of "Caucasus; and wouldst thou not lay thy hands on the wretch, lest "he bring mischief on himself? Even so let it be to every sinner, "who departeth from the truth to do evil."

This being the opinion of the book, I own many are the doubts which have arisen in my mind concerning thy residence among the idolaters of the West. If I have sometimes been afraid, lest the prophane disputations of sophists sully thy unspotted faith, I have recollected, that the same prophe who commands us to avoid every pollution of the elements, which are the seeds of all things, commands us to avoid every pollution of the soul, which contains the seeds of reason, immortality, and happiness. Then have I wished thee to fly away from that detested country on the wings of the morning, that thou mightest no more be liable to suspicion. If at other times I have thought thee too firm to be shaken from the genuine principles of ZOROASTER's law, I have recollected, that the same prophet who exhorts us, whatever temptations we combat, to hold fast to the religion of OROMASDES, and to suffer our minds to ascend from earth to heaven, as the sun mounts above the level of the waters to the zenith, whence he emits his warmest and most enlivening rays; exhorts us likewise, for want of power, by reproof and by instruction, to persuade those who are defiled with error to forsake it; on the same principle, that thou wouldst compassionately free the prisoner from the captivity which soothes him, for it may speedily end in his destruction.

I conjure

I conjure thee, hide not the profession of our law; gird up thy loins with the holy girdle; let me not be told again of thy private expiations, to appease the prophet for what thou softly callest the necessary omissions of duty, but are in truth the shameful compliances of fear. Address thyself to the philosophers and magistrates of Athens: let them bow no longer to idle gods and idle passions, but adopt the Deity and the morals of ZOROASTER. Think on the example proposed to thee by that great man, who looking on death with contempt, when set against the establishment of his doctrines in the hearts of others, not only hazarded but lost his life, in endeavouring to convert ARGASP, king of the Scythians. Be thou comforted also in remembering the speedy vengeance inflicted on that stubborn prince by DARIUS. Such may be the fate of Athens from the pious ARTAXERXES, if she refuse to hear thy mission, and treat thee with a Scythian barbarity. But if, as is most probable, in a state renowned for letters and for wit, her philosophers attempt to confute, and her poets to ridicule thee; be assured, as the sacred fire on our altars is smothered for a time by the shrubs and flowers that are thrown upon it, yet is nevertheless raised and supported by them; so is it with truth, which makes every impediment in its way the proper matter for itself to work upon, and converts the means intended for its overthrow, into those of its credit and propagation.

C.

.

A

LETTER CXL.

CLEANDER to HYDASPES.

LCIBIADES came yesterday on a visit to PHILEMON and myself, and we had a private symposium. He had scarcely entered the apartment, when he laughed, and said, "I have just been present " at the deliberations of an ingenious assembly, into which I am lately admitted." "I warrant you, (interrupted I,) some party " of pleasure. You have perhaps been contriving some conceit or "scheme to take place at the approaching Orgies." No, (answered "he,) by HERCULES, you were never more mistaken.'

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"Then

66 you have been discoursing (returned I) with a knot of sophists " or philosophers." Why in truth, (replied he,) it was so grave "a meeting, that you would have imagined, had you looked at us, "it was a company of philosophers? and yet our conference was "so void of all meaning, that it might vie with the disputations "of a sophist. To hold you no longer in suspense, a set of young " citizens, who are fond of attending the debates of the people, and "have a mind to make themselves, not able statesmen, but popular "orators, have composed a society, where, in imitation of the great objects of SOCRATES's ridicule, they talk extempore on every "topick that is offered them." "I perceive, (interposed PHILEMON) "there is a great spirit of eloquence gone forth into the world ; "and the forum (it is now suggested) was not designed so much "for the transaction of business, as for a vain ostentation of the capa

city. If MINERVA, the tutelar goddess of Athens, inspires not "our posterity with better thoughts, the affairs of the senate " and

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"and assembly may degenerate into careless amusements. These "trifles lead to serious misfortunes."* Pray, (said I) who are "the rulers of your club?" "Not I, (answered ALCIBIADES,) though a member of it." "I take that for granted (returned I); " and it is impossible for any one but a sophist to be either the framer " or conductor of it." "You are in the right (replied he): THEON "and ISAGORAS, who are of that sect, both of them superior "to us in years, seem to be our chief demagogues and managers. "The one was a follower of HIPPIAS, and imitates him in con"ciseness, which he looks upon as a proof of genius (though you "know it may discover either great strength or poverty of parts): "the other was a scholar of GORGIAS, and values himself on a "florid copiousness. The former is of so ridiculous an aspect, that "he would make a droll figure in the paintings of PYREICUS; and "the latter is a man of such universal attainments, that he presumed "to contend in tragedy with EURIPIDES himself. They have so high a regard for the improvements of their pupils, that they "always take contrary sides, and frequently keep the conversation to "themselves. As soon as THEON has uttered two or three sen

* PHILEMON seems to have been of the same sentiments with CICERO, who puts these words into the mouth of the elder CATO in the piece de Senectute. "Quod si "legere aut audire voletis, externa, maximas respublicas ab adolescentibus labefactatas "reperietis.

"Cedò, qui vestram rempublicam tantam amisistis, tàm cito? sic enim percontanti, ut "est in Navii Poeta ludo, respondentur et alia, et hæc in primis. "Proveniebant Oratores novi, stultuli, adolescentuli.”

It is remarkable, that ALCIBIADES should have this conversation with PHILEMON, who foresaw the ruin that would be brought upon the state by the precipitate advice and measures of such citizens as that young Athenian. He engaged his countrymen afterwards in the fatal expedition to Sicily. Should it be asked, how one of so romantick and debauched a turn could maintain any correspondence with the grave PHLEMON; it may be said, he did like CATILINE, bonos sibi specie quâdam virtutis assimulatæ tenere. Note by the Translator.

DD 2

"tences

"tences with some difficulty and much formality, the forward ISA"GORAS lays hold of them, allows him the whole extent of his 66 argument, but perhaps thinks it not to the purpose; and after he has proceeded in his usual strain of declamation, the same senti"ments pursued in different words, and warmly argued, furnish ❝out the exercise of the day." But, (said I,) though your disputes are not carried on in the best manner, you keep your"selves in breath, I imagine, by treating subjects of importance "as a trial of your invention.' "Yes, (rejoined ALCIBIADES,) we "have talked over every character in HOMER*, from ACHILLES to "THERSITES; and have started it as a problem of difficult solution, "whether NESTOR Or ULYSSES was the wisest ? A friend of mine, "who had been in Ithaca accidentally, (where hardly any body else "ever was,) valued himself much upon it, and told us, he might perhaps be prejudiced in favour of one whom he had proposed as "the pattern of his travels; but he could not help thinking, when "he traversed the rocky island, which was the royal patrimony of "the hero, that the good effects of his government existed visibly "in the face of the country till now.' He concluded with some "smart reflections or strong things to the disadvantage of old "NESTOR. Such, CLEANDER, are the means by which many of "the Athenians have learned a vicious fluency of words, and a petu"lant vivacity. But we begin to be tired of antiquity, and are "descended to the worst of all modern productions, the regula❝tions of our own society." "One should apprehend (answered I) they must be wretched subjects of discourse. The flowers of eloquence can never flourish or be raised on barren soils." "True

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*The sophists were fond of extracting topicks of declamation from the poets, especially from HOMER, as may be collected from the Dialogues of PLATO. It is said in one of them, that HIPPIAS of Elis had thrown all the precepts necessary for instituting youth into an oration, and called it "NESTOR'S Advice to a Son."