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PART V.

SELECT ORATIONS.

CALISTHENES'S Reproof of CLEON'S Flattery to ALEXANDER, on whom he had proposed to confer Divinity by Vote.

IF the king were present, Cleon, there would be no need of my answering to what you have just proposed: he would himself reprove you for endeavouring to draw him into an imitation of foreign absurdities, and for bringing envy upon him by such unmanly flattery. As he is absent, I take upon me to tell you, in his name, that no praise is lasting, but what is rational; and that you do what you can to lessen his glory, instead of adding to it. Heroes have never, among us, been deified till after their death; and, whatever may be your way of thinking, Cleon, for my part, I wish the king may not, for

many years to come, obtain that honor.

Yo

You have mentioned, as precedents of what you propose, Hercules and Bacchus. Do you imagine, Cleon, that they were deified over a cup of wine? and are you and I qualified to make gods? Is the king, our sovereign, to receive his divinity from you and me, who are his subjects? First try your power, whether you can make a king. It is, surely, easier to make a king than a god; to give an earthly dominion, than a throne in heaven. I only wish that the gods may have heard, without offence, the arrogant proposal you have made of adding one to their number; and that they may still be so propitious to us, as to grant the continuance of that success to our affairs with which they have hitherto favoured us. For my part, I am not ashamed of my country; nor do I approve of our adopting the rites of foreign nations, or learning from them how we ought to reverence our kings. To receive laws or rules of conduct from them, what is it but to confess ourselves inferior to them?

Q. CURTIUS.

BRUTUS'S Speech in Vindication of CESAR'S

Murder.

ROMANS, countrymen, and lovers!-Hear me, for my cause; and be silent, that you may hear. Believe me, for mine honor; and have respect to mine honor, that you may believe. Censure me, in your wisdom; and awake your senses, that you may the better judge.

If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Cæsar's, to him I say, that Brutus's love to Cæsar was no less than his. If then, that friend demand. why Brutus rose against Cæsar? this is my answer; not that I loved Cæsar less, but that I loved Rome more. Had you rather Cæsar were living, and die all slaves; than that Cæsar were dead, to live all freemen? As Cæsar loved me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honor him; but as he was ambitious, I slew him. There are tears for his love, joy for his fortune, honor for his valour, and death for his ambition. Who's here so base, that would be a bond-man ?—If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who's here so rude, that would not be a Roman ?-If any, speak; for him have I offended. Who's here so vile, that

will not love his country?If any, speak; for him have I offended.-I pause for a reply.

None? Then none have I offended. I have done no more to Cæsar, than you should do to Brutus. The question of his death is inrolled in the Capitol his glory not extenuated, wherein he was worthy; nor his offences inforced, for which he suf fered death.

:

Here comes his body, mourned by Mark Antony; who, though he had no hand in his death, shall receive the benefit of his dying, a place in the commonwealth; as, which of you shall not? With this I depart. That as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my country to need my death.

SHAKESPEARE.

SPEECH of TITUS QUINCTIUS to the ROMANS, when the Equi and Volsci, taking advantage of their intestine Commotions, ravaged their Country to the Gutes of Rome.

THOUGH I am not conscious, O Romans, of any crime by me committed, it is yet with the utmost shame and confusion that I appear in your assembly.

You

You have seen it-posterity will know it!—in the fourth consulship of Titus Quinctius, the qui and Volsci (scarce a match for the Hernici alone) came in arms to the very gates of Rome, and went away again unchastised! The course of our manners, indeed, and the state of our affairs, have long been such, that I had no reason to presage much good; but, could I have imagined that so great an ignominy would have befallen me this year, I would, by banishment or death (if all other means had failed) have avoided the station I am now in. What! might Rome then have been taken, if those men who were at our gates had not wanted courage for the attempt? -Rome taken, whilst I was consul!-Of honors I had sufficient of life enough-more than enoughI should have died in my third consulate.

But who are they that our dastardly enemies thus despise the consuls, or you, Romans? If we are in fault, depose us, or punish us yet more severely. If you are to blame-may neither gods nor men punish your faults! only may you repent! No, Romans, the confidence of our enemies is not owing to their courage, or to their belief of your cowardice: they have been too often vanquished, not to know both themselves and you. Discord, discord, is the ruin of this city! The eternal disputes between the