Part I.

felf. 'Laertius faith, they were both conldous hereof, and that being dilcovered, he grew cruel to every one.
t In the heginnihg of his Reign he was much more rhetciful than his Father, but keeping correfpondence by Mellengers with Lhra/ibu/us Tyrant of Milett/s^ ( '^ to whom in times palb he had been a Guelb, before he arrived to the Government ) he became at lalt much more bloody than his Father. He lent an exprefs to Lhrajibidus^ to Rnow what courle he Ihould take to fettle himfelf, • and to govern the City in the'belb maner. Lhrafibulus led the Melfen- ger out of the Town, and as they walked to¬ gether in a Corn-field, queftion’d him concern¬ ing his coming from Corinth^ and in the mean time lopped off all the heads of Corn that grew higher than the reft, and threw them a- way i in this manner he went over the whole field, not Ipeaking one word to the Mefienger, and fo lent him home -, where being returned, Feriauder greedily enquired what lnftru£lions he had brought; heanlwered; Lhrajibulus had
and adviled him to provide befbre-hand for hH own lecurity.
^ He made a vow, if hq were viftor in the :f Chariot-race at the Olyrnpick Games, to erebb a ftatue of Gold .• He chanced to be vi£lorious, and wanting Gold, beholding upon a i'eftival of that Country the Women richly adorned, he took olf all their ornaments, and 16 fent them home.
CHAP. IIL
Of hU being placed in the number of the Seven Sages, his Sentences and Writings,
given him none, and that he wondered he
would lend him to a Mad man, who deftroyed his own goods. Feriander encpired what Fhra- fibulm did, and immediately apprehended that he advifed him to put the molt eminept in the City to death. . Laertius recites a Letter to that efFeft, which, it not fuppolititious, muft have been lent at another time alter this Meilenger departed.
PEriander ( faith + Flutarch ) being become f Sept. Sap. a Tyrant by hereditary dileale derived to
him by his bather, endeavoured to purge him- felf thereof as much as pollible, by tiling the found converlation ol good Perions, and invited Wile-men to come to him ; t to which purpole t he lent this Epiltle to thole of Greece^ at Inch time as they met at Delphi.
Feriander to the Wife Men.
Thtalibulus to Periandet.
I Gave your MejJ'enger no anf veer ^ but carry¬ ing him into a field oj Corn^ lopped o f loith my flick fuch Ears tu grew hift?er iblin the refl^ whiljl he followed me ; if yqu- enquire^ he will relate all to you that he hath heard or Jeen .* Do you fo Ukewife^ if you mean to fettle your felf in the Government^ take off the Heads oJ the chirf efi Citizens^ whether your profefj'ed Enemies^ or others. A Tyrant muji fufpetl every Friend.
I Give Pythian and Apollo many thanks^ that you being met together there^ will alfo by my Letters be brough to Corinth, i will entertain you as you ivell know vety kindly. 1 hear that la ft year you met at the Lydian Kings in Sardis : de¬ lay not now to come to me.^ Tyrant of Corinth, /f?/- /be Corinthians will look kindly upon you^ if you come to the lioufe of Periander.
]
Though ^ Plutarch d-Quy he followed ‘this advice, Herodotus avers, that from thence for¬ ward Feriander exerciled all cruelty upon his Subie£fs, difpa telling thole that had elcaped the Rigour and Perlecutioiis ol his bather, t He firft appointed a guard of Halberdiers to fe- cure his Perfon, which confilted of three t £.TriT/>^.A^.Vj/. hundred, and converted the Government. to a t>.mjfcai. Tyranny ( t 'through his cruelty and violence) Stiidas from -- - - - - - ''
bim.
llpbn tfis invitation they w^'ent to him, nor ' feven, but twice as many, of whom was Dio-, cles^ Feriander^ Friend, in -whofe nance Flu¬ tarch makes a large delcription of their enter¬ tainment, which w'as not in the City, but at the Port Lecheon, in a great Hall, appropria¬ ted to fclemn Fealts; joyning to the Temple of Venus, t6 whom he had not facrificed lince the unhappy death of his Mother until that time, the particulars of the Feaft, by reafon of the largnefs of the Dilcourfe, we refer to Plu¬ tarch.
He w^as alfo himfelf put into the unmber of thefe Wifemen, who, i Flutarch laith, were »«' originally hut five, but that afterwards Clevbu- lus Tyrant of Hindus, and Feriander Tyrant of Corinth, who had neither Vertue nor Wifdom, by the greatnels, of thbir Power, the multitude
* Laei t.
fSidd.
* Lacrt.’
He forbad the Citizens to keep any Servants, I of their Friends, and the obligations they Con¬ or to be idle,- always finding lome employment ferred upon thole that adhered to them, forced: for them: If any Man lau in the Forum, he|a reputation; and thruft themfelves violently was fined, for he feared, left they Ihould plot; into the ufurped name of Wifemen to which
' . ‘ “ end, they Ipiead abroad Sentences and rematk-
nble Sayings throughout all Greece^ the very farhe which others had laid before, whereat the other firft Sages were much difplealed., yet would not dileover or convince their va¬ nity, nor have any publick Controverfie about that title with Ferfons of fo much Wealth and
againft him. * The Citizens being delirous to live he would not fufferihern; He w'as always in War, being of a martial dilpofiti- on. t He made Ships with three banks of Oars, which he ufed in both Seas. He at¬ tempted to dig the Ifthmus off from the Continent.
Lib. I. 2o.
Of his -friendlhip and correfpondence with: Power, but meeting together at Delphi, after Thrafibulus,. ^ Herodotus gives another inftance,! fome private debate, they confecrared there affirming he fent to inform him of the Oracles | the Letter E, the fifth in the Alphabet, and anfwer to Aly at tes King of Lydia, concern- jin numeration, to teftifie to the God of that ing the re edifyihg of the Temple of Temple they were no more than five, and
that
3
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he.
P A R T. I.
P E R 1 A N D E R.
*Sutel.
1 -j- Protagor. •Laert.
t Pint, fept, fep. com/.
! Stoh. 28.
f Stob, ibid, f Laert.
f Laevt,
that they reje£led and excluded from their com- 1 pany, the lixth and the leventh, as having no right thereto.
Of thole "^who excluded him out of the number of the feven, fome, Cds t Plato) fubfti- tute in his room Myfo : ^ others fay there were two of this name, Coulins, one the Tyrant, the other of Amhraica ; But Anjlotk and others, aflerthim of Corinth to be the Wife, which At¬ tribute leems 'to be conferred upon him, not in refpe£f to his A£fions, but moral Sayings and Writings, which were thefe.
‘Do nothing for gain, that is proper to Trades- ‘ men. They who will rule lafely,muft be guard- ‘ ed with Love, not Arms. Being demanded why ‘ he continued King, becaufe (faith he) it is dan- ‘ gerous willingly to refrain, or unwillingly to ‘ be depoled.
t When the other fix had given their (pini¬ ons concerning Tyranny ( at the Feaft to which he invited them, he being defired to add his, anfwered with a troubled counte¬ nance, Enough has been faid to deter any Man of found Judgment from Rule. When they had in like manner declared their Opinions, concerning a Common-wealth, he added. The refult of all which had been faid^ commended that Democracy moj}.^ which came neareft an Ariflocracy.
^ Being demanded vdhat was the greateft in the leajl.^ he anfwered.^ a good mind in a humane body.
His Precepts (according to t Demetrius Tha¬ ler em) were theft, ‘ Confideration is all (f which ‘ was his particular Sentence) Quiet is good,
‘ Temerity dangerous. Gain fordid, the acculati- ‘on of Nature. A Democracy is better than a ‘ Tyranny. Pleafures are mortal, Vertues Immor- ‘ tal. In good fortune be moderate, in bad pru- ‘dent. It is better to die than to want. Study to be worthy of your Parents. Be praiftd Li- ‘ ving, beautified dead. To your Friends in ‘ Prolperity and Adverfity be the lame. What ‘ thou haft promiftd amifs, perform not.[L^ •'keep thy word.] Betray not Secrets. So re- 1 ‘ proach , as if thou Ihouldft e’re long be a I ‘ Friend, lift new Diet, but old Laws. Punilh ‘ thoft who have Sinned : Reftrain thoft that ‘ are about to Sin. Conceal thy misfortune, that ‘it may not glad thy Enemies.
Aufonius afcribes thefe to him.
Pleafure a?:d Profit never dif agree.
As more follicitous^ more happy be.
""Tis ill to wifh.^ but worfeto year to.die.^
With what N’ecejJity enjoyns.^ comply.
If thou art fear'd of many.^ many fear.
Be not exalted when thy Eortune's clear, /
El or be dejeGed.^ if a form appear.
f He writ two tlioufand Verfts of Moral In- ftrulfions.
CHAP. IV.
The Story of Arion.
During^ the Feaft we mentioned (by Plu¬ tarch's Account) or rather according to Eufebius.^ in the fortieth Olympiad, there hap¬
pened a ftrange accident, which (becaule Hero¬ dotus calls it a Miracle fliewed to Periandcr) we lliall relate in his words.
t Arion the moft famous Lutinift of thatf Lih. i. time, having lived along time with Periandcr alibAGf/- tooka Voyage to Jr ^//y and ^/V/Zy, there having gotten together much wealth, he defigned return to Corinth : at Tarentum he hired a Co- dan, and’o- rinthian VelTel, confiding above any in Cor in- fbets; thians ^ they, when they were at Sea, plotted to esA Arion over-board, that they might be Mafters of his Wealth, which he undeilfand- ing, offered to give them all fo they would lave his Life j they refufing, bad him lay vio- • lent hands upon himfelt] ft he would be buri¬ ed in his own Country, otherwift to leap im¬ mediately into the Sea. Arion- reduced to this extremity, intreated them to give him leave, to put on his richeft Ornaments, and fo Itanding upon the Poop of the Ship, to play a Tune, promifing, as foon as he had done, to deliver him felf into their hands. The Men moved with a great defire to hear the moft excellent Lutinift in the World, retired from the Poop * to the middle of the Ship : He put pn his beft Ornaments, and Handing upon the Poop, be¬ gan that Tune which they call the Morning Hymn, alfoon as he had ended it, he threw himfelf into the Sea, with his Ornaments and Lute -, the Ship failed on to Corinth. It is re¬ ported, a Dolphin took him upon his Back, and carried him to Tocnarus, where he landed, and took Shipping again fot Corinth ^ he arriv’d there in the lame Habit, and related all that palfed ; which Periander not believing , com¬ mitted him to clofe Cuftody, nor permitting him to go any whither, and in the mean time lent for the Mariners -, when they came, he asked them News of Arion : They anfwered, he was very well in Italy, and that they Isft him lafe at Tarentum : Immediately Arion appeared, attired, as when he leaped out of the Ship, whereat they were fo confounded, they could not fay any thing in their own defence.
This is attefted both by the Corinthians and Lesbians. At Tanarus there is a little Image given as an Offering of a Man fitting upon a Dolphins Back ; That Periander caufed fuch a one to be made, is evident from this Epi¬ gram of Bianor.
The Statue of Arion o' re the main
Sailing tip on a Dolphin's Back was carv'd
By Periander’s Order. See, Men flain By cruel Men, by Eijhes kind prejerv'd.
C H A P V.
Of his Wife.
f T YIS Wife was mmed Lyds, by him cal-| jLJL led Alclijja, Daughter to P rode us. Ty¬ rant ot’Epidaurus and Erifthenea, the Daughter of Ariflocratis, by the Sifter of Anftomedes, which 'Perfons ruled over the greateft part ofif Arcadia. He fell in love with her feeing her in a Peloponefian drefs, ' in her Petticoat, with¬ out a Gown , giving drink to her Father’s Workmen : * Long after kille-i her in hiS|^^y,.^,
Fuiy,
I
48
P E K I J N DE R. .
fury, big with Child, with a Stool, or a blow of his Foot, being wrought upon by the ac- cufations of his Concubines, whom he after¬ ward burnt.
t 5., + He lent one day to Threfpotos^ upon the
River Acheron, to enquire by Necromancy con¬ cerning a Depojitum. appearing, faid.
She would not tell them in what place it was laid, becaufe fhe was cold and naked ^ the Cloths wherein (he was buried doing her no good, for they were not burned , confirming the Truth whereof by ?eriander'‘s putting bread into a cold Oven • which anfwer carried to
* Suld. Ferknder,V[i2idLQ good the Sufpition that ( W excefs of Love) i#?? Here¬
upon he cauled Proclamation to be made, that all the Corinthian Women fhould come to Temple to celebrate a Feftival, attired in their richeft Ornaments : when they caftie, ha¬ ving placed a Guard of Soldiers inAmbufh, he ffripped them all, without any diftinftion ("Free- women and Servants j of their Clothes, which he carried to MeliJJu’s Grave, and ha¬ ving prayed, burnt them to her : This done, he fent Meflengers to enquire the fecond time^ to whom Me/ijfd’s Ghoft appeared, and told , ' tlKm where the Depojitum was laid.
CHAP. VI.
0/ his Children.
I
^Hmd, lib. y f T T E had by Melijfa two Sons, Cypfalus and XjL Lycophron, the younger ingenious, the elder a Fool ^ he had likewife a Daughter j his elder Son at the time of his Mother’s death was eighteen years old, the younger feven- teen. Thefe their Grandfather by the Mo¬ ther’s fide Lrocletfs (Tyrant Epidaurus) fbnt for over to him, and loved them much, as in reafon he ought , being the Children of his own Daughter ; when he was to fend them back , he faid to them , Do you know Chil¬ dren who flew your Mother ? The elder took no heed to that Speech, but Lycophron the younger was fo troubled at it, that when he came to Corinth^ he neither fpoke to his Father, nor would make him any Anfwer, looking , upon him as the Murtherer of his Mother ^ whereat Leriander at length became lb incenfed, that he turn’d him out of doors. He being gone, Periander queff ion’d the elder what dif courfe his Grandfather had with him; he related to him how kindly he ufed him,but told nothing of that which Procleus had laid to them at their departure, for he had not taken any notice of it j Periander faid, it was not poffible but tiiat he fhould fay fomething more , and prefTed him more ftridly ; at laft he calling it to mind, toldhim this alfo -, which Periander relenting and not willing to ufe his Son more mildly, fent to the Peopk with whom he lived in his eje£lion, forbidding them to receive him into any of, their Houfes. Turned out of that wherein he was, he fought to go into another , but was denied ; Periander having threatned thofe that fhould entertain him , and com¬ manded all to drive him away : expelled thence, he went to another of his acquaintance, who
knowing him the Son of Periander, entertain’d him, though with fear : At length Periander proclaimed. That wholbever received him in¬ to their Houle, or fpoke to him, fhould pay what Fine to Apollo he fhould impofe ; from that time none durff venture to entertain him or fpeak to him ; nor would he himfelf make trial of a thing which he knew to be defperare,
^t paffed his time in the common Walks;
Four days after,^ Periander feeing him poof and extenuated with Faffing, took Compaflion of him,andlaying afidehis anger, drew nigh to him, and laid,. ‘ Son, which is better, to ‘undergo what you now fuffer, or by obey*
‘ ing your Father to enjoy my Wealth and ‘Kingdom ? You being my Son, and next ‘ Heir to the Kingdom of Fruitful Corinth feoMe:
J made choice of the Life of a Vagabond, an- grily oppofing him whom you ought not to ‘ oppofe ; if any unhappinefs befel you in thofe ‘ things whereof you fufpe£f me, it befel me,
‘ and I have fo much the greater fhare therein,
‘ in being the Inffrument thereof ; hear how ‘ much better it is to be envied than to be pi- ‘ tied, and what it is to be angry with our ‘ Parents or Betters. In thefe words Periander reprov’d his Son who made him no other Anfwer, than ‘ That he ought to pay a Fine ‘ to the God for fpeaking to him. Periander perceiving the Evil of his Son to be incurable, re¬ moved him out of his fight, and fending him by Ship to Corcyra, of which he was alfo Ty¬ rant : Having thus difpofed of him, he m.adc War with his Father-in-Law, Procleus, as the chief caule of all that happened.
Laertius mentions an Epiftle which he fent him to this Effeft ;
Periander to Procleus.
We committed unwillingly that Crime upon your Daughter, but you, if willingly, you alienate my Sons JVlind from me, you do unjujfly^, there¬ fore either foften h/s Mind towards me, or 1 fhdll revenge this Injury ; I have fatpsjied your Daugh¬ ter by burning in her Honour the Garments of ail the Women of Corinth. .
t In fine he took Epidaurus and Procleus f Hmd. md. therein, whom he preferved alive.
^ Inprocefsof time Periander growing old,^ Umd. Hid, and knowing himfelf to be no longer fit for the charge of the Common wealth Jent to Cor- cyra to invite Lycophron to the Government of the Kingdom; conceiving his eldellSon un- capable of that Office by reafon of his Stu¬ pidity. Lycophronvto\M not vouchfafe fomuch as to fpeak to the Meffenger. Periander (af- fe£fionate to him ) fent the fecond time his Son’s Sifter, his own Daughter, hoping he would be fooner perfwaded by her ; me com¬ ing, laid to him, ‘ Brother, had you rather the ‘ Kingdom fhould fall into the hands of others, '
‘ and our Father’s Houfe be difperfed, than ‘ go Home and have- it your felf ? Return ■to your own Houfe, injure your felf no lon-
• ger ; Obftinacy is an unhappy Inheritance :
Cure not one Evil with another ; many prefer
• Compliance before Juftice ; many in purfuit ■ of their Mother’s Right, lofe their Father’s
• Kingdom ;
t
J
t
I
i
RaRT I.
P E K-I A N: E E Ri.
5P,
^ Kingclom^ a* Kingdom is a^ ilippery thing,
‘ chY’ered by many j oiir Father is old and' feeble,
‘ give hot your own (aoods to otheri 'Thus file' pleaded' to him as her Father had inftrudled bar I, he anfwered ha 'Would ^never come, to CV/y^ib whilft his Father, lived there : Which as loon as Peri jWfr uiiderftood, he fent a Mef- ienger ;the third time, to- let him know, he wotdd 'remove to C7r9';w, and to command him to come to Corinth: to- take the Government uponhith'^ to this the Son afTented. Eerian- der prepared for Corcyra^ his Son iot Corinth : the People -of Cvrtyra informed hereof, that Eeriander might not come into their" Country, ^ kill’d his Son : In revenge of which Fafl Eeri- ander fent three hundred Boys of the chief of the Corcyrmns to Sardis to Alyattes King of Ly- dta^ there to be gelt ; The Corinthians who had charge of them, were driven upon Samos^ the Samians underftanding to what end they were fent to Sardis^ advifed them to take Sanftuary in the Temple of Diana^ and would not fiiffer them, as being Suppliants to be pulled away : The Corinthians not permitting any Food to be , given them, the Samians celebrated a Fell ival,
wjhich is obferved(faith Herodotus) at this day •, when Night was come, the Company of Youths and Maids danced whilft the Children were Praying, and in their dance, having made Cakes of Meal and Honey, hung them aniongh the Children, whereby they were fuftain’d alive *, this they did fo long till the Samians^ who had charge of the Children, were fain to go away *?lut.de ff2^.and leave them i then the Samians conveighed ligtiMerodot. the Children home to Corcyra. ^ Antenor and
^ affirm, EdoCtiidians cam'e.'to'iS'iJHr'"' with’ ^ Fleet, drove aWay f^uard
from the Templt and cafried the Chiidten t^ Corcyra-^ for which rcafonthi; CGrcyrjcanPzXioxv--' ed the Gnididns marry Honours and Immupiries;' which they gave not ,(even)to xhoSammns. ' " ■
- — - - - - • ■ 'ezJtt
C H A P. VIL
• His- Death.
. Y.
oA* 1
‘Xceffive Melancholy (amidft thefe cfoffes)’^ / oceafioned his death,' in' tlie laft.year-'of the forty eighth Olympiad, the eightieth Year of his Age, being defirous none Ihould know where he was buried, he thus contrived it. He command¬ ed two Men to go to a certain place at nighr,and to kill whom they firft met, and bury him. After them he fent four to kill and bury the two i after the four, more : They obeyed his order, the firft killed him. The Corinthians ereQed for him an empty Monument with this Infcription.
Periander lies within Corinthian Ground^
For power and wifdom above all renowned.
Laertius hath this Epigram upon him :
At whatfoev'r Jhall happen be not fad :
Alike for all that God difpenfeth glad.
Wife Periander did through Grief expire,
Becaufe events not joyrdd with his Defire.
f Std).
O S I A D E S
His Colledion of
The Precepte of the feven Sophip.
•U
r*
\0 How God. Obey the Law. t^mjhip the Gods. Reverence thy Earent^uffer for Juflice. Underfland what thou learnef. Know what thou hearejl. Know thy felj. About to Marry fhufe opportunity. Confider mortal things. When thou art a guefi, acknowledge it.Re- fpett Hofpitaliiy : Command thy felf. Relieve thy Friends. Govern thy Anger. Exercife Erudence. Honour Erovidence. Ufe not Swearing. Love Yriendjhip. Apply thy felj to Difcipline. Eurfue Glory. Emulate Wifdom. Speak we I I of that which is good. Difparage none. Eraife Vertue. Do what is juft. Be kind to thy Friends. Revenge upon thy Enemies. EraSdife gene rofny. Abjtainfrom evil. ,Begeneral.Keep zohat is thine. Refrainfrom what belongs to others. Speak zwrds of good Omen. Hear all things, Gratife thy Friend. Nothing too much. Husband time. Regard the future. Hate Injury. Have RefpeSl to thy Servants. InJtruH thy Chil- dren.lfthou hafi ought, gratife other s.F'ear deceit.
Speak well of all. Be a lover of Wifdom. Judge according to Equity. What thou knoweji, do. Ab- fain from Bloodjhed. Wijh things pojfiblc. Con- verfe with the Wife.Examine Wits What thou haf receiv'd, rejlore. Dijlruf none. Mane uje of Art. Defer not what thou intendef to give. Ejicem Benefits. Envy none. Guardi by J elf. Approve hope. Hate Calumny. Eojjefs juflly. Reverence the good. Acknowledge thy Judge. Be moderate inWedlCck. Ref pell Fortune. Fly Engagements for any. Con- verfe with all. Make if e of thy like. Regulate Sumptuoufnefs. Enjoy what thou pojjefi'eji. Exer¬ cife Modefiy. Return benefits. Fray for projperity. Love Fortune. Hearing, fee. Aim at things that may be acquired. Hate diffeniion. Abhor reproach. Curb thy "Longue. Repel Injury. Determine equal¬ ly. Make uje of thy Wealth. Examine without corruption. Blame the prefent. Speak knowingXJfe no violence. Live pleffantly. Converfe mildly. Go through thy Undertakings fearlefs.Be benign lo H . all.
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■ It
The Precepts of the fenjen Sophifis.