Ine other allies in solemnizing his funeral in a public manner, instituted anniversary games and sacrifices to his memory, as a hero; and so far considered him as their founder, that they destroyed all the monuments which had been preserved as marks of their being an Athenian colony.

His opposition to the peace, was not so much the effects of his obstinacy, as of a true Spartan zeal for the honour of his country, which he was sensible had been treated by the Athenians with too much insolence and contempt. He had now a fair prospect of bringing them to reason, as he was gaining ground upon them, and every day making fresh conquests; and, however he might be transported with the glory of performing great actions, yet the main end of his ambition seems to have been, the bringing the war to a happy conclusion.

I must not here omit the generous answer, made by his mother, to the persons who brought her the news of his death. Upon her asking them whether he died honourably, they naturally fell into encomiums on his great exploits, and his personally bravery, and preferred him to all the generals of his time; "Yes," said she, "my son was a valiant man, but Sparta has still many citizens braver than he."

Cleon was a different sort of man. He was rash, arrogant, and obstinate; contentious, envious, and malicious; covetous and corrupt; and yet, with all these bad qualities, he had some little arts of popularity, which raised and supported him. He made it his business to caress the old men; and, much as he loved money, he often relieved the poor. He had a ready wit, with a way of drollery that pleased many, though with the generality it passed for impudence and buffoonery.

He had one very refined way of recommending himself, which was, upon his coming into power, to discard all his old friends, for fear it should be thought he would be biassed by them. At the same time, he picked up a vile set of sycophants, in their room, and made a servile court to the lowest dregs of the people; and yet even they had so bad an opinion of him, that they often declared against him for Nicias, his professed enemy; who, though he took part with the nobility, still preserved an interest in the commons, and was more generally respected.

That which Cleon chiefly depended on, was his eloquence: but it was of a boisterous kind, verbose and petulant, and consisted more in the vehemence of his style and utterance, and the distortion of his action and gesture, than in the strength of his reasoning.

By this furious manner of haranguing, he introduced,

among the orators and statesmen, a licentiousness and inde cency, which were not known before; and which caused the many riotous and disorderly proceedings, that afterwards oc curred in the assemblies, when almost every thing was car ried by noise and tumult. In the military part of his service, he was as unaccountable, as in the rest of his conduct. He was not naturally formed for war, and used it only as a cloak for his ill practices, and because he could not carry on his otner views without it.

The taking of Sphacteria was certainly a great action, but, it was a rash and desperate one; and it has been shown how he was undesignedly drawn into it by a boast of his own. However, he was so elated with the success of that expedition, that he fancied himself a general: and the people were brought to have the same opinion.

But the event soon undeceived them; and convinced them that he knew better how to lead in the assembly, than in the field. In reality, he was not a man to be trusted in either; for, in the one, he was more of a blusterer, than of a soldier; and in the other, he had more of an incendiary, than of a patriot.

The Lacedæmonians were no less inclined to peace, than the Athenians; and were glad to treat, at this time, while they could do it with honour; besides, they had nothing more at heart than the imprisonment of their men taken at Pylus, who were the chief of their city; and, among other considerations, it was not the least, that the truce which they had made with Argos for thirty years, was just expiring.

This was a strong and flourishing city, and though it was not, of itself, a match for Sparta, yet they knew it was far from being contemptible, and that it held too good a corres pondence with its neighbours, not to make itself capable of giving them a great deal of uneasiness.

The matter having been canvassed and debated most of the winter, the Lacedæmonians, to bring the treaty to a conclusion, gave out that they resolved, as soon as the season would permit, to fortify in Attica. Upon which, the Athenians grew more moderate in their demands; and a peace was concluded, in the tenth year of the war, between the two states and their confederates, for fifty years. The chief articles being, that the garrisons should be evacuated, and the towns and prisoners restored, on both sides.

This was called the Nician Peace; because Nicias, who was just the reverse of his rival Cleon, was the chief instrument in its negotiation. Besides the tender concern he always expressed for his country, he had more particular ends

in obtaining it, in securing his reputation. He had been upon many expeditions, and had generally succeeded in them; yet he was sensible how much he owed to his good fortune, and his cautious management; and he did not care to risk what he had already got, for the hopes of more.

CHAPTER X.

From the Peace of Nicias, to the end of the Peloponnesian War.

EVERY thing now promised a restoration of former tranquillity. The Boeotians and Corinthians were the first that showed signs of discontent, and used their utmost endeavours to excite fresh troubles. To obviate any dangers arising from that quarter, the Athenians and Lacedæmonians united in a league, offensive and defensive, which served to render them more formidable to the neighbouring states, and more assured with regard to each other. Yet still the former animosities and jealousies fermented at bottom; and, while friendship glossed over external appearances, fresh disconents were gathering below.

The character, indeed, of Nicias, was peaceable; and he did all in his power to persuade the Athenians to cultivate general tranquillity. But a new promoter of troubles, was now beginning to make his appearance; and, from him, those who wished for peace, had every thing to fear. This was no other than the celebrated Alcibiades, the disciple of Socrates, a youth equally remarkable for the beauty of his person and the greatness of his mental accomplishments.

The strict intimacy between Alcibiades and Socrates, is one of the most remarkable circumstances of his life. This philosopher, observing in him excellent natural qualities, which were greatly heightened by the beauty of his person, bestowed incredible pains in cultivating so valuable a plant, lest, being neglected, it should wither as it grew, and absolutely degenerate. Indeed, Alcibiades was exposed to numperless dangers; arising from the greatness of his extraction, his vast riches, the authority of his family, the credit of his guardians, his personal talents, his exquisite beauty, and, still more than these, the flattery and complaisance of all who ap proached him. "One would have concluded," says Plutarch, that fortune had surrounded and invested him with all these pretended advantages, as with so many ramparts and bulwarks, to render him inaccessible and invulnerable to all darts of philosophy, those salutary darts which strike to the

L

very heart, and leave in it the strongest incitements to virtue and solid glory."

But those very obstacles redoubled the zeal of Socrates. Notwithstanding the strong endeavours that were used to divert this young Athenian from a correspondence which alone was capable of securing him from so many snares, he devoted himself entirely to it. He had the most unbounded wit; he was fully sensible of Socrates' extraordinary merit, and could not resist the charms of his sweetly insinuating eloquence, which, at that time, had a greater ascendant over him, than the allurements of pleasure.

He was so jealous a disciple of that great master, that he followed him, wherever he went; took the utmost delight in his conversation; was extremely well pleased with his prin ciples; received his instructions, and even his reprimands, with wonderful docility; and was so moved with his discourses, as even to shed tears and abhor himself: so weighty was the force of truth in the mouth of Socrates, and in so odious a light did he expose the vices to which Alcibiades abandoned himself.

Alcibiades, in those moments when he listened to Socrates, differed so much from himself, that he appeared quite another man. However, his headstrong, fiery temper, and his natural fondness for pleasure, which was heightened and inflamed by the discourses and advice of young people, soon plunged him into his former irregularities; and tore him, as it were, from his master, who was obliged to pursue him as a slave who had escaped correction.

This vicissitude of flights and returns, of virtuous resolu tions and relapses into vice, continued a long time; but still Socrates was not disgusted by his levity; and always flattered himself with the hopes of bringing him back to his duty: and hence, certainly, arose the strong mixture of good and evil, which always appeared in his conduct: the instructions which his master had given him, sometimes prevailing; and, at other times, the fire of his passions hurrying him, in a manner, against his own will, into things of a quite opposite

nature.

Among the various passions that were discovered in him. the strongest and most prevailing was a haughty turn of mind, which would force all things to submit to it; and could not bear a superior, or even an equal. Although his birth and uncommon talents, smoothed the way to his attaining the highest employments in the republic, there was nothing however, to which he was so fond of owing the credit and authority he wanted to gain over the people, as to the forcë

of his eloquence, and the persuasive grace of his orations. To this, his intimacy with Socrates might be of great service.

Alcibiades, with such a cast of mind as we have here described, was not born for repose; and had set every engine at work, to traverse the treaty lately concluded, between the two states; but, not succeeding in his attempt, he endeavoured to prevent its taking effect. He was disgusted at the Lacedæmonians, because they directed themselves only to Nicias, of whom they had a very high opinion; and, on the contrary, seemed to take no manner of notice of him, though his ancestors had enjoyed the rights of hospitality among them.

The first thing he did to infringe the peace, was, having been informed that the people of Argos only wanted an opportunity to break with the Spartans, whom they equally hated and feared, he flattered them secretly with the hopes that the Athenians would succour them, by suggesting to them that they were ready to break a peace which was nc way advantageous to them.

Accordingly, he laid hold of this juncture; and improved the pretext given by the Lacedæmonians, to exasperate the people, both against them and Nicias; which had so good an effect, that, every thing seemed disposed for a treaty with Argos of which, the Lacedæmonians being very apprehensive, immediately despatched their ambassadors to Athens; who, at first, said what seemed very satisfactory, that they came with full power to concert all matters in difference, upon equal terms. The council received their propositions, and the people were to assemble the next day to give them audience,

Alcibiades, in the mean while, fearing lest this negotiation should ruin his designs, had a secret conference with the ambassadors; and persuaded them, under colour of friendship, not to let the people know, at first, what full powers their com mission gave them; but to intimate that they came only to treat and make proposals: for that otherwise they would grow insolent in their demands; and extort from them such unreasonable terms, as they could not with honour consent to.

They were so well satisfied with the apparent sincerity and prudence of this advice, that he drew them from Nicias, to rely entirely upon himself; and the next day, when the people were assembled, and the ambassadors introduced, Alcibiades, with a very obliging air, demanded of them, with what powers they were come? They made answer, that they were not come as plenipotentiaries. Upon which, he instantly changed his voice and countenance, and, exclaiming against them as notorious liars, bade the people take care how they