Had he bought with it lands or houses, the children might have been maintained out of the yearly, rents, and the principal have been kept entire. But he does not seem to have once thought of improving their fortune; but on the contrary, to have contrived only how to strip them.

Accufing.

Wonder,

But the most atrocious (for a single action) of Narration. all his proceedings, is what follows. When he was made commander of the galiies, along with Alexis, the son of Aristodicus, and according to his own account, had been, on occasion of fitting out the fleet, and himself, at the expense of fortyeight mine, out of his own private purse-he charges his infant-wards with ha'f this sum. Whereas the state not only exempts minors from public offices, but even grants them immunity, for one year, at least, after they come of age. And when he had fitted out for a voyage to the Adriatic, a ship of burden to the value of two talents, he told his daughter, the mother of his wards, that the adventure was at the risque, and for the benefit of his wards. But, when the returns were made, and he had doubled the sum by the profits of the voyage--the gains were, he said, al his own. The fortune of his wards Accufing. was to answer for the damages-but was not to be at all the better for the advantages! If, in this manner, one is to trade at the peril and loss of others, and engross to himself the whole profits; it is not difficult to conceive how his partners may come to be undone, while he enriches himself. To lay before you all the particulars, which Averfion. have come to our knowledge, of this complicated scene of wickedness, would but disgust and shock you. We have witnesses here to prove what we have alledged against this cruel invader of the property of helpless innocents, his own near relations, entrusted to his charge by his deceased brother.

[The Witnesses were then examined.]

Affirming.

Pity with

blame

Submiffion.

You have heard, venerable judges, the evidence Affirming, given against the defendant. He himself owns

the actual receipt of seven talents, and forty mine of the estate of the plaintiffs. To say nothing of Accufing. what he may have, or rather certainly has, gainGranting. ed by the use of this money; I will allow, what every reasonsble person will judge more than sufficient for the maintenance of three children, with a governor and a maid, a thousand drachma Affirming. a year, which is something less than three drachme a day. In eight years this amounts to eight thousand drachma. So that, upon ballancing the account, there remains due to the plaintiffs, of the seven talents and forty minæ, six talents and twenty mina. For the defendant cannot pretend, that the estate of the plaintiffs has suffered by fire, by water, or by any other injury, than what himself has done it. * * *

diftrefs.

[The rest is wanting.]

LXIX.

CONSULTATION.

The Speech of SATAN, in his infernal palace of Pan-
dæmonium, in which he proposes to the conside-
ration of his angels, in what manner it would be
proper to proceed, in consequence of their defeat,
and fall. [MILT. PARAD. LOST, Book II.]

Majefty with POWERS and Dominions! Deities of Heaven!
For (since no deep withen her gulph can hold
Celestial vigour, though opprest and fall'n)
I give not Heav'n for lost. From this descent
Celestial virtues rising will appear

Courage.

More glorious, and more dread, than from no fall,
And trust themselves to fear no second fate.

Authority. Me, though just right, and the fix'd laws of

Heav'n,

Did first create your leader, next free choice,

With what besides, in council, or in fight,
Hath been atchiev'd of merit, yet this loss
Thus far at least, recover'd, hath much more
Establish'd in a safe un-envied throne,
Yielded with full consent. The happier state
In Heaven which follows dignity, might draw
Envy from each inferior; but who here
Will envy, whom the highest place exposes
Foremost, to stand against the Thunderer's aim,
Your bulwark, and condemns to greatest share
Of endless pain. With this advantage then
To union, and firm faith, and firm accord,
More than can be in Heaven, we now return
To claim our just inheritance of old,
Surer to prosper than prosperity

Could have assured us, and by what best way,
Whether of open war, or covert guile,

Apprehen.

Complaint..

Courage.

We now debate. Who can advise, may speak. Confidence.

FIERCENESS.

LXX.

DESPERATION.

The Speech of the fallen angel MOLOCH, exciting the infernal crew to renew the war against the Messiah. (1) [IBID.]

My sentence is for open war.

*Of wiles

More inexpert, I boast not. Then let those
Contrive who need, unworthy of our might.
For while they sit contriving, shall the rest,
Millions, now under arms, who longing wait
The signal to ascend, sit ling'ring here
Heaven's fugitives, and for their dwelling place
Accept this dark approbrious den of shame,
The prison of his tyranny who reigns

(1) The author reprefents Satan's, Moloch's, and the rest of the Infernal angels' hoftility as directed against the Supreme Being: but this feems (with all deference to the learned author) to be incredible for no created being, can, without lofing all use of feafon, poffibly imagine itfelf a match for Omnipotence.

U

Courage. *Contempt

Courage.

Contempt.

Rage.

rage.

Fierce cou- By our delay !(1) No-let us rather choose,
Arm'd with hell flames and fury, all at once
O'er Heavens high towers to force resistless way,
Turning our tortures into horrid arms

lice.

Against our torturer. When to meet the noise
Of his terrific engine, he shall hear

Bitter ma- Infernal thunder, and for lightning see
Black fire and horror, shot with equal rage
Amongst his angels; and his throne itself
Mix'd with Tartarean sulphur and strange fire,
Recollection His own invented torments.-But perhaps
The way seems difficult, and steep to scale
With adverse wing, against a higher foe.-
Let such bethink them, if the sleepy drench
Of that forgetful lake benumb not still,
That in our proper motion, we ascend
Up to our native seat. Descend and fall
To us is adverse. Who but felt of late
When our fierce foe hung on our broken rear,
Insulting, and pursu'd us through the deep;
With what compulsion, and laborious flight
*Arguing. We sunk thus low ?-*Th' ascent is
easy then.-
Th' event is fear'd-Should we again provoke
Our enemy, some worse way he may find
To our destruction; if there be in hell
Fear to be worse destroy'd.-What can be worse
Than to dwell here, driven out from bliss, con-
demn'd

Complaint. In this abhorred deep to utter woe,
Where pain of unextinguishable fire
Must exercise us without hope of end,
The vassals of his anger, when the scourge
Inexorable, and the tort'ring hour

Fiercenefs.

Call us to penance ?More destroy'd than thus
We must be quite abolish'd, and expire.

What fear we then?--What, doubt we to incense
His utmost ire, which, to the height enrag'd,

(1) "No, let us," &c. to "but perhaps," can hardly be overafted, if the dignity of the fpeaker be kept up in pronouncing the paffage. At the words, "but perhaps," the angel compofes hinfelf again.

Will either quite consume us, and reduce
To nothing this essential, happier far
Than miserable to have eternal being.
Or if our substance be indeed divine,
And cannot cease to be, we are, at worst,
On this side nothing. And by proof we feel
Our pow'r sufficient to disturb his Heav'n,
And with perpetual inroads to alarm,
Though inaccessible, his fatal throne ;
Which, if not victory, is yet revenge. (1)

Complaint.

Courage.

Malicious

fury.

LXXI.

CONSIDERATION.

DISSUASION.

DIFFIDENCE.

The Speech of the fallen angel BELIAL, in answer
to the foregoing. [IBID.]

I SHOULD be much for open war, 0
peers!
As not behind in hate; if what was urg'd
Main reason to persuade immediate war,
Did not dissuade me most, and seem to cast
Ominous conjecture on the whole success;
When he, who most excels in feats of arms,
In what he counsels, and in what excels
Mistrustful, grounds his courage on despair,
And utter dissolution as the Scope

Of all his aim, after some dire revenge.

But what revenge ?-The towers of Heaven are
fill'd

With armed watch, that render all access
Impregnable. Oft on the bord'ring deep
Encamp their legions; or, with flight obscure,
Scout far and wide into the realms of night,

Deliberate.

Apprehen

Arguing.

Scorning surprize.—Or, could we break our way Apprehen.

(1) The voice, inftead of falling toward the end of this line, as ufual, is to rife; and, in fpeaking the word revenge, the col lected fierceness of the whole fpeech, ought, as it were, to be expreffed in one word.