Ibid.

Lyfand.

War, and Heads of Confederacy, and the Judges of Foreign Difputes. They reconcil'd their Neighbours, and brought them to their own Meafures, only by fending a plain Man, in a Freeze Coat, without any Pomp or Retinue to fupport his Embaffy. And when Lyfander, upon the taking of Athens, fent off a vaft Mass of Treasure to Sparta, fome of the wifeft of the Lacedemonians declar'd openly against receiving it*. They look'd* Plur. upon Gold and Silver as the great Debauchers of Mankind; That these Metals had a general Afcendant, and were too ftrong for the Morals of most People: That they were commonly gotten by Avarice and Circumvention, and spent upon Luxury and Riot. But not being able to prevail, the Event answer'd their Fears, and Sparta quickly declin'd both in her Manners and Reputation. * 'Tis * Plut. true, Agis afterwards endeavour'd to re- Agis. trieve the Commonwealth, and bring it towards Lycurgus's Model, but mifcar- Ibid, ried in the Attempt.

Philot. Lycurgus, befides the Expedient you mention, divided the Lands into equal Shares, and oblig'd the Burghers to eat together at Common-Halls; I suppose you are for the Scheme in its full Latitude, in order to compafs your Reformation.

H 4

Philal.

Philal. You mistake me; I am for no fuch levelling Project, neither do I think it practicable in all places. What I mention is only to thew the Mifchief of idolizing Money, and what care great Men have formerly taken to prevent it. And whatever you may think, Poverty has not been always fo unfafhionable as you make it. To give fome Inftances from Antiquity; Ariftides, fo famous for his Juftice and Valour, he who was Archon or chief Magiftrate of Athens, and did fuch Service at the Battels of Marathon and Platea; This Ariftides was fo far above the Fancy of an Estate, that he left not Affids enough to bury him; and his Daughters had their Portion from the publick Exchequer. The Theban Aristid. Epaminondas, who beat the Lacedemonians at Leuctra and Mantinea, and wrefted the Sovereignty of Greece from them, was rich in nothing but Bravery and Reputation: To thefe we may add Curius Dentatus and Fabritius, among the Romans; this latter, who was General against Pyrrhus, died fo poor, that the Senate were at the charge of his Funeral; and yet 'twas in his power to have been otherwife : For Pyrrhus tempted him very high: to make him the Second

Plut.

"

He promis'd Perfon in his

Kingdom,

Kingdom, provided he would but defert, and betray his Country. Had he accepted the Offer, he might have stuff'd his Coffers to purpose; he might have glitter'd in Treafon, and made an illuftrious Figure out of his Falfhood. But this Bait would not down with the old Romans: They took Probity, good Faith and Courage, for the true Marks of Greatness. Wealth work'd out of ill Practice, was always counted dishonou rable: In fuch Cafes they did not shine, but fuffer in Pomp and Title: Thus they drew their Infamy more into the Light, and had a greater Croud to defpile them. To make a Figure out of foul Dealing, would have been just as wife a Project with them, as it would be for a Man to put on a rich Habit, in order to ftand in the Stocks or Pillory. This was the old Roman way: But when they began to be fmitten with Pelf, they degenerated apace, as Saluft obferves This over-valuing of Money, as he continues, makes People haughty and barbarous, and falfe both to God and Man. Ambition, fays this Hiftorian, has fome- Bell. Ca what of a handfome Colour: For Fame talin. and Power are the Wishes both of the Good and Bad; tho' the Means of their Purfuit are different'. But Co

vetoufnefs

vetousness is all for the Coin, (quam nemo fapiens concupivit) which was never the Inclination of any great Perfon. Thus Tully tells us, That nothing is a stronger • Evidence of a little, of a narrow Mind, than to dote upon Riches; and that nothing is more creditable and magnificent than to defpife (I won't say the Want, but) the Abfence of a Fortune; and to let it go freely for your Neigh'bours when you have it.

Philot. The Poverty you mention is but comparative; 'tis not of the hardest Kind: Your Greeks and Romans were provided with Neceffaries, and fenced against Hunger and Cold: They had Honour to entertain them, and great Posts to keep them eafy; and befides, Luxury and State was not fo much the Fashion of thofe Ages as it has been fince.

Philal. You think, if they had been clofer prefs'd, and driven towards Starving and Contempt, they would have strain'd their Honesty to have given their Circumftances a lift. Now I am not of your Mind. And here give me leave to tell you, that, in my Opinion, a Man that fubfifts upon Misbehaviour, and eats and drinks away his Confcience, is as deplorable a fight as a Malefactor in Gibbets, that devours himself as far as he can reach,

and

and fwallows one Limb to fupport another. I I grant, to feel the Extremity of Want, and be always under Discipline and Mortification, must be very uncomfortable But then we are to confider, that the World will either mend, or wear off; that the Discharge will come fhortly, and the Hardship turn to Advantage; that the Conteft is commendable and brave, and that 'tis dangerous and dishonourable to furrender. But tho' Poverty is fometimes more creditable than Riches, tho' as fuch 'tis never any Difgrace; yet I muft needs fay, it often lies too much under Neglect. 'Tis the Poor that provide the Neceffaries, and maintain the Splendor of Life. 'Tis they that give Eafe, Leifure and Obfervance to the Wealthy, and make them relish their Circumftances. Now when they have worn up their Strength in drudging, and difabled themselves by their Industry, they. fhould be cherish'd in their Declenfion, and invited to a comfortable Retreat. Those who had done any confiderable Service at Athens, were lodg'd in the Prytaneum, and maintain'd at the publick Charge. And to the fame purpose, there are Invalides and Hofpitals in France and Holland: Here Soldiers and Seamen are handfomly receiv'd, their old

Age