Part I.

SOLON
Epodes^ mentioned by Laertim.
Elegies to Kwg Cypranor, cited by the Au thor of Aratus^ his life. A by Laertius.
Some, faith Elutarch., aflSrm, he began to reduce his own Laws into Verle.
The laff work he undertook was concerning the Atlantick fpeech or fable, which beginning late, he was deterred by the greatnefs of the Work, as Elutarch faith, and prevented bv Death. .
Befides thofe Epiftles already alledged, thefe are preferved alfo by Laertius.
Solon to Eeriander.
Dll fend me word, there are many who X ‘ plot againft you j if you fhould put ‘ them all to death, it would advantage you no- ‘ things fome one there may be of thofe, whom ‘you lufpea not, who plots againft you, either fearing himlelf, or difdaining you, or defirous ‘ to ingratiate himfelf with the City, though * you have done him no injury ; it is beft if ‘ you would be free from jealoufie, to acquit ‘yourfelf of the caufe j but if you will con- tinue in Tyranny, take care to provide a great- er ftrei^th of Strangers than is in your own City, lo Ihall.you need to fear no Man, nor ‘ to put any to death.
Solon to Epimenides:
^JEither are my Laws likely to benefit the « j 1 ^ long, nor have you advanta-
ged the City by luftration ; for Divine Right and Lawgivers cannot alone benefit Cities • it importeth much of what mind they are \vho ^ lead the common People •, Divine Rights and ^ws, if they dire£l them well, are profitable, if they direa them ill, profit nothing-, nei- ^ ther are thofe Laws I gave in any better condi- ^ tion^ they who had charge of the Common¬ wealth, mot preventing Fifijiratushis ufurpa- ‘ non of the Tyranny, loft the City, of which
Such fragments of his Poems as have been hitherto preferved are thus colleaed.
Otic of his Elegies '
Rndfove’& great line, y Pierian Mufes, to my prayer ihcline Grant that my lifb and aaions may, call down
Bleffings fromHeaven,andraife one Earth renown'
Sweet to my Fronds, and bitter to my Foes To thefe my fight bring terror, joy to thofe. Rich« I wifh, not riches that are plac'd In unjuft means, for vengeance comes at laft.
Riches difpenc d by Heavens more bounteous hand,
A bafe on which we may unfliaken ftand.
But that which Men by injuries obtain That winch by arts and deeds unjuft they gain Comes flowly, fwiftly by revenge purfued.
And. milery like a clofe fjiark include.
Which foon to a devouring flame dilates Wrong is a weak foundation for eftates. ’
Jove doth the end of every thing fnrvey •
As fuddain vernal blafts chafe clouds away. Ranfack the bottom of the roaring main Then fwiftly overrun the fertile plain ’ Ruffling the wealthy ears at laft they rile To Jove\ high feat, a ealm then fmooths the skies.
The Sun s rich luftre mildly gilds the Enamel of the Meads, no Clouds are leen.
Such is Joveh heavy anger differing far From Men whofe every trifle leads to War : They are not hid for ever, who offend.
In fecret, judgment finds them in the end.
Some in the aft are punilh’d, others late Even he who thinks he hath deluded fate’.- At laft refents it in juft miferies,
Which Nephews for their Anceftors chaftife.
We think it fares alike with good and bad .
Glory and felf conceit our Fancies glad
TiU fuffering comes, then their griev’d fpirits bleed, ^
Who did before their Souls with vain hope
, T r- iiic '--ity, or wnicn, feed.
•>ebelie- He whom incurable difeafesfeize
ved-, iLo Athenians won H V, , ,
e. A A r • 5 iiwL UC UCllC-
ved-, the Athenians would rather , credit his * natteries, than my truth s wherefore laying ‘ down my Arms before the Magazin, I faid,
c ? r/1 ^ '^ho did not fee
Efjfratus aimed at the Tyranny ^ and ftouter ‘thanu^ofe who durft nofrefift him: they ‘repuled a Madman. Laftly, I made this proreflion, O Country ! behold Solon ready ‘ to vindicate thee in word and deed : they again elteem d me mad. Thus I being the only Perfbn that oppos’d Eijiflratus^ I came -away from them; let them guard hiip with ^ their Anns if they pleafe, for know (dear c Ibb^end ; the Man came very cunningly by the ^ Kingdom, he complyed at firft with the De- ^mocracy, afterwards wounding himfelf, came t crying out, he had received thofe
t uuits from his Enemies, and required a guard of four hundred young Men, which they Oiot
‘ w!"® f 1 thefe e4ried
^halberts, after this, he dilTolved the popular ^ Govermnent i truly I bboured in vain to free ^ the poorer fort from mercenary (lavetv. when they ail now ferve one Pififi/ it.ys.
r.xiviy lilvuiauic ufjtcuics leize.
Sooths his deluded droughts, withiopes of eafe. The coward’s valiant in his own efteem.
And to themfelves, fair the deformed feem. They who want means, by poverty oppreft. Believe themfelves of full eftates pofieft.
All is attempted, fbmenew leas explore To bnng home riches from a foreign ftiore : Seas, on whole boifterous back fecur’d they ride And in the mercy of the winds confide : ’
A j crooked ploughs their Oxen yoke.
And Autumn with their plants and lets provoke. Some Vulcafs and Minerva's arts admiie,
And by their hands their livelihoods acquire. Others the fair Olympian Mufes trace,
And lovely learning ftudioufly embrace.
One by Apollo is prophetick miade,
And tells what mifehiefs others fhall invade .* With him the Gods converfe, but all the skill InEirdsor Vi£fims cannot hinder ill.
Some to Peonian knowlege are inclin’d.
Nor is the power of Simples unconfin’d.
The fmallelf hurts fometimjes increale and rage. More than all art of Phyfick can affwage ;
Some-
Sometimes the fury of the worft dileafe.
The hand by gentle ftroking will appeale.
Thus good dr bad arrives as fates deugn,
Man cannot what the Gods difpenc’d decline.
All aaionsare uncertain, no Man knows When he begins a Work, how it mall dole. Some, who their bufinefs weigh with prudeait
care, -
Oft of the iffue incercepted are :
Whilft others who have ralhly ought delign d. An end fuccefsful of their labours find.
There is no bound to thofe who wealth acquire, For they who are poflelf of moft, deure , j As much again, and \vho can all contem,
Even thofe full blelTings which the Gods have
; 1 1*
Man varioufly to his own harm applies, , _ Whom jove by means as various doth chaltile.
^ . . * - •
' X Again.
0\Jr City never can fubverted be By Jove or any other Deity : tor Pallas eye furveys with pio/fs care The Walls^ which by her hand proteSed are :
Tet the Inhabitants of this great Town^ fondly inclin'd to wealthy will throw it down ; And thofe unjuji greatm^erfons who are bent Others to wrong, themf elves to dif content j for their infat iate fancies have not power , T'enjoy the fweetnefs of the infant hour.
But by all wicked means, intent or gam, _ from hallowed, nor from publick things refrain. Riches by theft and cozenage to poffefs.
The f acred bounds of juftice they tranfgrefs. Who filent fees the prejent, knows the paf. And will revenge thefe injuries at lafi :
Caufing a carelefs rupture in the State,
And all our liberties fhall captivate.
Roufe War from his long f umber , who the flower Of all our youths fltall bloodily devour, for Cities which injurioufly oppofe Their friends, are fopn invaded by their foes. > Thefe are the common evils : of the poor Many tranfported to a foreign fhore.
To bondage there, and fetters fhall be fold.
Each private Uoufe thus fhares the publick fate. Nor can exclude it with a barr'd up gate *, for fcaling furioufly the higher walls.
On thofe wlxim beds or corners hides it falls.
My Soul, Athenians, prompts me to relate What miferies upon injufiice wait :
But ju ftice all things orderly defigns.
And in frill fetters the unjuf confines.
What's four, fhe fweetens, and allays what cloys. Wrong fhe rebels, ill in the growth dcfroys. Soften^ the fiubborn, the unjuf reforms.
And in the fate calms all f edit ious forms :
Bitter diffention by her reign fupprefl,
I Who wifely governs all things for the bejt.
Another.
NO Man is bleffed, bad is every one
That feels the warmth of the all-feeing Sun.
Another.
LEt me not die unpiti'd, every friend
With fighs and tears my latefl hour at¬ tend.
J
■ P A T. I,
C H 1 L 0 N.
t
CHILO
”■ './^ “X-
th^
■ff 4" S*,
CHAP. I.
Chilon his Life*
* Laerh
^ ^^Uilon was a 'Lacedmionian^ Son of Ha- t Setm. 28. magetus^ corruptly termed in iStobaus,
Vages. He was eminent among the Greeks for two Predictions.
fferodofJitU, The firft to Hippocrates ^ to whom ( being a private PerJ'on)happened a great prodigy at the 0- lympick Games : having prepared an Offering^and filled a Cauldron with Plejh and Water^ it boiled sever without Fire: This portent 0[{\\ot\( accident
*
Un.
allyprefent) beholding^ ndvifedhim that hejhould not take a Wijebywhom he might have IJfue- that if he had one^ he Jhould put her away^ and if a Son^ turn him out of Doors: Hippocrates not following this advice^ brought up hie Son Piliftra- tus, who in the f edition of the Maritimes and Country-Men at Athens, thofe led by Megades, thefe by Lycurgus, fibred up athirdFaHion^ ana gained the Tyranny.
F \Hd
?3
54
C H 1 L 0 N.