Part I.

;8
and Shield, 'and made an Oration to the People, partly accufing them o-f folly and cowardife, partly inciting them not to forlake their liber¬ ty, ufing this celebrious fpeech,. ‘ It had been ‘ far ealier to have fuppreft this Tyranny in the ‘ growth, but much more noble to cut it ofF ‘ now it is at the hight. No Man daring to hear him, he went home, and taking his Arms, let them in the Street before his Door (Laerti¬ us faith, hej'ore the Magazin ) faying, ‘ I have ‘ helped my Country, and the Law as much as *■ lay in me •, or as Laertius^ ‘ 0 Country, I ^ have affifted thee both in Word and Deed. Llutarch adds, that from that time he lived retired, addifted to his ftudy ^ and told by ma¬ ny the Tyrant would put him to Death, and demanded wherein he confided lb much, he anfwered, in his Age : but Laertius affirms '( which feems truer ) that as foon he as had laid down his Arms, he forfook the Country : » z.;f. 17. and Gellius^ that in the Reign of Scovius Tullius^ Pi/ijiratus was Tyrant of Athens-) Solon going firlt away into voluntary ex¬ ile.
CHAP. XI.
llovo he travelled into Lydia, and CViiAz.
SOlon at his departure from Athens^ received invitations from many ^ by Thales defired to come to ALiletus ^ by hias^ to Friene-^ by E- f menldes^ to Creet-^ by Cleohulusy to L 'lndus^ as is evident from their feveral Letters to that efteH .• even Fi/lftratus prelTed him to return home by this Epiitle.
Pififtratus to Solon.
‘ TVTEither am I the only Perlbn of the *■ Greeks, nor aip I without right to *■ the Kingdom I pofTefs , as being deKended ‘ from Codrus : that which the Athenians, ha- ‘ ving fworn to give to Codrus and his Heirs, ‘ took away , I Iiave recovered ; no other- ‘ wife do 1 offend either God or Man •, I ‘ take care that the Common wealth be go- ** verned according to the Laws you ordained ‘ for the Athenians, and that better than by a ‘ Democracy ; I fuffer none to do wrong , ‘neither do I enjoy any priviledges of aTy- ‘rant, more than Honour and Dignity, fuch ‘ Rewards only as were conferr’d upon the ‘ antient Kings •, every Man pays the tenth ‘ of his Eftate, not to me, but to the main- ‘ tenance ofpublick Sacrifices, or other charges , ‘of the Common-wealth, or againft time of ‘War. You I blame not for difeovering my ‘ intents, you did it more in love to the State, ‘ than in hate to me befides, you knew not ‘ what Government I meant to efiablifh,' ‘ which if you had, perhaps you would have ‘ brooked my rule, and not banifhed your lelf; ‘ return therefore home, and believe me with- ‘ out an Oath : Solon fhall never receive any ‘ difpleafure from Fifijiratus, you know my ve- ‘ ry Enemies have not, and it you will vouch- . ‘ lafe to be of my Friends, you fhall be of the ‘ firft, for I hever faw any thing in you de 1
‘ ceitful or Falfe •, if otherwife, you will live ‘ with the Athenians , ufe your Freedom , only deprive not your felf of your Country, ‘ for my lake.
Solon returned this anlwer.
Solon to Fififlratus,
I Believe I lhall not luffer any harm by ‘ you, for before you were Tyrant, I was ‘ your Friend, and at prefent am no more your ‘ Enemy, than any other Athenian who diflikes ‘ Tyranny .* whether it be better they be go- ‘ verned by a Angle Perfon, or by a Democra- ‘ cy, let both Parties determine. I pronounce ‘you the beftof Tyrants 5 but to return to A- ‘ thens I think not fitting, left I incur blame, ‘ who fetled an equality in the Athenian Com- ‘ mon-wealth, and would not accept of the ‘ Tyranny ^ by returning, I fhall comply with ‘ thy aHions.
Creefus alfb fent to invite him, to whom he thus anfwered.
Solon to Croefus.
I Love your humanity towards us, and by ^ '‘ Fallas, but that I affe£l above all things
’ to live under a Democracy, I Ihould much ’ fooner choole to live in your Kingdom, than ’ at Athens, whilft Fififlrattfs rules there by ^ force 5 but it is moft pleafing to me to live ’ where all things are juft and equal •, yet will ’ I come over to you, being defirous to become ’ your Gueft.
Solon upon this invitation went to Sandys, where Creefus ( faith Herodotus ) received him kindly : after the third or fourth day,’ the oifr cers at Crxfas appointment led him into the Treafuries, tofhew him all their Greatnefs and Richest when he had beheld all, Creefus fpoke thus unto him : ‘Athenian Gueft becaufe we ^have heard much fame of your Wifdom and ’ Experience, having out of love to Philofo- ’ phy travelled into many Countries, I have ’ a defire to enquire of you if ever you law * any Man whom you could call moft hap- Py* This he demanded, hoping himlelf to be efteemed fuch. Solon nothing flattering him, anfwered according to the truth, laying ’ O King, Tellus the Athenian. At which ’^eech Creefus wondering; Why do you ’ judge Tellus the moft happy ^ Becaufe ( re- ’ plied Solon d in a well ordered State, he had ’Children honeft and good, and faw every ’ one of thofe have Children all living •, thus ’ having paffed his life as well as is poffible for ’ Man, he ended it gloriqufly ; a fight happen- ’ ing between the Athenians and their Neigh- ’ hours in Eleufis, he came into their fuccour ’ and putting the Enemy to flight, died nobly- ^ the Athenians buried him in the place where he fell , with much honour. Whilft Solon recounted the happinefs of Tellus, Treefus be¬ ing moved, demanded to whom he affign'd the next place, making no queftion but himfelf mould be named a lecond. ’ CelobisflAth he)and ’ Bito, they were Argroes by birth, they had
’ fufficient
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