III. The fecond Olynthiac Oration: pronounced in the fame year. IV. The third Olynthiac Oration: pronounced in the fame year. V. The Oration on the peace: pronounced in the archonship of Archias, three years after the olynthiac Oration.

VI. The feventh Oration against Philip: commonly called the fecond. Pronounced in the archonship of Lycifcus, two years after the Oration on the peace.

VII. The Oration on the state of the Cherfonefus: pronounced in the archonship of Sofigenes, two years after the fecond Phillipic. VIII. The tenth Oration against Philip: commonly called the third. Pronounced in the fame year.

IX. The eleventh Oration against Philip: commonly called the fourth. Pronounced in the archonship of Nicomachus, the year after the former Oration.

X. The twelfth Oration against Philip: commonly called the Oration on the letter. Pronounced in the archonship of Theophrastus, the year after the foregoing Oration. To which is prefixed, Philip's

letter to the Athenians.

To every Oration our tranflator has prefixed a fhort introduction, giving an account of the hiftorical facts preceding, and the subject matter of it, which cannot be disagreeable to the learned, and is absolutely neceffary to the unlearned reader. There are also fubjoined a few notes explaining the idioms and phrases made ufe of, and the customs alluded to, which are not unferviceable.

This tranflation may, in our opinion, be justly rank'd amongst those which will do honour to our language, being, for the most part, faithful without fervility, and elegant without either weakness or affectation: as will fufficiently appear by the following fhort fpecimen which we have extracted from the latter part of the noble and animated Oration on the state of the Cherfonefus, where our author feems to have caught the fire and spirit, and not ill supported the strength and dignity of his illuftrious original.

"We have thofe among us, who think a speaker fully confuted by afking, "What then is to be done?" to whom I anfwer with the utmost truth and juftnefs, " not what we "are now doing.”—But I fhall be more explicit: if they will be as ready to follow, as to ask advice.

‹ First

First then, Athenians, be firmly convinced of thefe truths. • That Philip does commit hoftilities against us, and has vio•lated the peace; (and let us no longer accuse each other of • his crimes)—that he is the implacable enemy of this whole city, of the ground on which this city ftands, of every inhabitant within thefe walls; even of those who imagine themselves highest in his favour. If they doubt this, let • them think of Euthycrates and Lafthenes the Olynthians. They who feemed the nearest to his heart, the moment they betrayed their country, were distinguished only by the fuperior cruelty of their death. But it is against our conftitution, that his arms are principally directed; nor, in all his schemes, in all his actions, hath he any thing fo immediately in view, as to fubvert it. And there is in fome fort a neceffity for this. He knows full well, that his conquefts, however great and extenfive, can never be fecure, while you continue free: but that if once he meets with any accident, (and every man is fubject to many) all those whom he hath forced into his fervice, will inftantly revolt, and fly to you for protection. For you are not naturally difpofed to grafp at empire yourfelves; but to fruftrate the ambitious attempts of others; to be ever ready to oppofe ufurpation, and affert the liberty of mankind; this is your peculiar character. And therefore it is not without regret that he fees in your freedom, a spy upon ⚫ the incidents of his fortune.

Let us then be affured, that we are contending for the very being of our flate; let this infpire us with abhorrence of those who have fold themselves to this man, and let them feel the feverity of public juftice: for it is not, it is not posfible to conquer our foreign enemy, until we have punished thofe traitors who are ferving him, within our walls. Elle while we strike on these as so many obftacles, our enemics muft neceffarily prove fuperior to us. And whence is it that he dares treat you with infolence, (I cannot give his ❝ present conduct any other name) that he utters menaces against you, while to others, he does acts of kindness (to deceive them at least, if for no other purpose ?) Thus, by heaping favours on the Thefalians, he hath reduced them to their present slavery. It is not poffible to recount the various

B 4

artifice,

artifices, by which he abufed the wretched Olynthians, from his first infidious gift of Potidaea. But now, he seduced the Thebans to his party, by making them mafters of Boeotia, and eafing them of a great and grievous war. And thus, by being < gratified in fome favourite point, these people are either involved in calamities known to the whole world, or wait with fubmiffion for the moment wher fuch calamities are to fall upon them. I do not recount all that you yourselves have loft, Athenians! but in the very conclufion of peace, how • have you been deceived? how have you been spoiled? Was not Phocis, was not Thermopylae, were not our Thracian do◄ minions, Dorifcum, Serrium, and even our ally Cerfobleptes, all wrefted from us? Is he not at this time in poffeffion of Cardia? And does he 'not avow it? Whence is it, I fay, that he treats you in fo fingular a manner? Because our's is the only flate where there is allowed full liberty to plead the • cause of an enemy: and the man who fells his country, may harangue fecurely, at the very time, that you are spoiled of your dominions. It was not fafe to speak for Philip at Olynthus, until the people of Olynthus had been gained by the furrender of Potidaea. In Theffaly, it was not fafe to speak for Philip, until the Theffalians had been gained by the expulfion of their tyrants, and the recovery of their rank of Amphictyons; nor could it have been fafely attempted at • Thebes, before he had restored Boeotia, and extirpated the • Phocians. But at Athens, although he hath robbed us of Amphipolis, and the territory of Cardia; though he awes us. with his fortifications in Euboea; though he is now upon his march to Byzantium; yet his partizans may speak for Philip without any danger. Hence, fome of them, from the meaneft poverty, have on a fudden rifen to affluence; fome, from obfcurity and difgrace, to eminence and honour; while you on the contrary, from glory have funk into meanness, from. ▾ riches to poverty: for the riches of a fate I take to `be its allies, its credit, its connexions; in all which you are poor, And by your neglect of thefe, your utter infenfibili, ty to your wrongs, he is become fortunate and great, the terror of Grecks and Barbarians; and you abandoned and defpifed; fplendid indeed in the abundance of your markets

but

but as to any real provision for your fecurity, ridiculoufly <deficient.

There are fome orators, I find, who view your interests ⚫ and their own in a quite different light. They would per• fuade you to continue quiet, whatever injuries are offered to you: they themselves cannot be quiet, though no one offers them the leaft injury. When one of these men rises, I am fure to hear, "What! will you not propose your decree? • Will you not venture? No; you are timid; you want true fpirit."-I own indeed, I am not, nor would I chufe to be a bold, an importunate and audacious fpeaker. And yet, if I mistake not, I have more real courage than they who C manage your affairs with this rafh hardiness. For he, who neglecting the public interefts is engaged only in trials, in 'confifcations, in rewarding, in accufing; does not act from any principle of courage; but as he never speaks but to gain your favour, never proposes measures that are attended with the leaft hazard; in this, he has a pledge of his fecurity, and therefore is he daring.. But he who for his country's good, oftentimes oppofes your inclinations; who gives the moft falutary, though not always the most agreeable counsel • who pursues those measures, whofe fuccefs depends more on fortune than on prudence; and is yet willing to be accountable for the event; this is the man of courage, this is the true patriot: not they, who by flattering your paffions, have loft the most important interests of the state: men, whom I am fo far from imitating, or deeming citizens of worth, that should this question be proposed to me, "What "services have you done your country?" though I might recount the gallies I have fitted out, and the public entertainments I have exhibited, and the contributions I have paid, • and the captives I have ransomed, and many like acts of be❝nevolence; I would yet pass them all by, and only fay, that my public conduct hath ever been directly oppofite to theirs. I might, like them, have turned accufer, have distributed ⚫ rewards and punishments; but this is a part I never affumed: my inclinations were averfe; nor could wealth or honours prompt me to it. No; I confine myself to fuch counfels as have funk my reputation; but if purfued, must raise

⚫ the

⚫ the reputation of my country. Thus much I may be allow'ed to say, without expofing myself to envy.-I should not

have thought myself a good citizen had I proposed such • measures as would have made me, the first among my counC trymen, but reduced you to the laft of nations: on the conC trary, the faithful minister should raise the glory of his country; and upon all occafions, advise the most falutary, not the easiest measures. To thefe, nature itself inclines; thofe are not to be promoted, but by the utmost efforts of a wife and faithful counsellor.

"I have heard it objected, "that indeed I ever fpeak with ❝reason, but that ftill this is no more than words: that the "state requires something more effectual; fome vigorous "actions." Upon which, I fhall give my fentiments with⚫ out the least reserve. The fole bufinefs of a speaker is, in my opinion, to propofe the course you are to pursue. It is easy to fhew this. You know that when the great Timotheus moved you to defend the Eubocans, against the tyranny of Thebes; he addreffed you thus. "What, my countrymen ! "when the Thebans are actually in the ifland, are you deli"berating what is to be done, what part to be taken? will you not cover the seas with your navies? why are you not "at the Piraeus? why are you not embarked?”. -Thus • Timotheus advised, thus you acted; and fuccefs enfued. But had he spoken with the fame fpirit, and had your indolence prevailed, and his advice been rejected; would the state have had the fame fuccefs? by no means. And fo in the present • cafe; vigour and execution is your part; from your speakers you are only to expect wisdom and integrity.

86

'I will just give a fummary of my opinion, and then de• fcend. You should raife fupplies, you should keep up your prefent forces, and reform whatever abuses may be found in them, (not break them entirely upon the first complaint.) You should fend ambassadors into all parts, to inform, to remonftrate, to exert • all their efforts in the fervice of the fate. But above all things, { let those corrupt minifters, feel the feverest punishment; let them ⚫ at all times and in all places be the objects of your abhorrence: that • wife and faithful counsellors may appear to have confulted their own • interefts as well as that of others.—If you will act thus, if you will 6 "Shake