were not sorry to see the Lacedemonians at war with their neighbours, and were far from desiring to furnish them with a good general. On the other, they were afraid also of disobeying the god. To extricate themselves out of this difficulty, they offered the Lacedemonians a person called Tyrteus. He was a poet by profession, and had something original in the turn of his wit, and disagreeable in his person; for he was lame. Notwithstanding these defects, the Lacedemonians 'received him as a general sent them by heaven itself. Their success did not at first answer their expectation, for they lost three battles successively.

The kings of Sparta, discouraged by so many disappointments, and out of all hopes of better success for the future, were entirely bent upon returning to Sparta, and marching home again with their forces. Tyrteus opposed this design very warmly, and at length brought them over to his opinion. He spoke to the troops, and repeated to them the verses he had made on the occasion, and on which he had bestowed great pains and application. He first endeavoured to comfort them for their past losses, which he imputed to no fault of theirs, but only to ill fortune or to fate, which no human wisdom can surmount. He then represented to them what a shame it would be for Spartans to fly from an enemy; and how glorious it would be for them rather to perish sword in hand, in fighting for their country, if it was so decreed by fate. Then, as if all danger was vanished, and the gods, fully satisfied and appeased with their late calamities, were entirely turned to their side, he set victory before

m

their eyes as present and certain, and as if she herself was inviting them to battle. All the ancient authors who have made any mention of the style and character of Tyrteus's poetry, observe, that it was full of a certain fire, ardour, and enthusiasm, that animated the minds of men, that exalted them above themselves, that inspired them" with something generous and martial, that extinguished all fear and apprehension of danger or death, and made them wholly intent upon the preservation of their country and their own glory.

Tyrteus's verses had really this effect on the soldiers upon this occasion. They all desired, with one voice, to march against the enemy. Being become indifferent as to their lives, they had no thoughts but to secure themselves the honour of a burial. To this end they all tied strings round their right arms, on which were inscribed their own and their fathers' names, that, if they chanced to be killed in the battle, and to have their faces so altered, through time or accident, as not to be distinguishable, it might certainly be known who each of them was by these marks. Soldiers determined to die, are very valiant. This appeared in the battle that ensued. It was very bloody, the victory being a long time disputed on both sides; but at last the Messenians gave way. When Tyrteus went afterwards to Sparta, he was received with the greatest marks of distinction, and incorporated into the body of citizens.

The gaining of this battle did not put an end to the war, which had already lasted three years. Aristo

Plat. l. i. de Legib. p. 620. Plut. in Agid. et Cleom. p. 805. Tyrtæusque mares animos in Martia bella

Versibus exacuit.

HOR. in Art. Poet.

menes, having assembled the remains of his army, retired to the top of a mountain of difficult access, which was called Ira. The conquerors attempted to carry the place by assault; but that brave prince defended himself there for the space of eleven years, and performed the most extraordinary actions of bravery. He was at last obliged to quit it only by surprise and treachery, after having defended it like a lion. Such of the Messenians as fell into the hands of the Lacedemonians on this occasion were reduced to the condition of the Helots, or slaves. The rest seeing their country ruined, went and settled at Zancle, a city in Sicily, which afterwards took its name from this people, and was called Messena; the same place called at this day Messina. Aristomenes, after having conducted one of his daughters to Rhodes, whom he had given in marriage to the tyrant of that place, thought of passing on to Sardis, and to remain with Ardys, king of the Lydians, or to Ecbatana, with Phraortes, king of the Medes; but death prevented. the execution of all his designs.

The second Messenian war was of fourteen years duration, and ended the first year of the twenty seventh Olympiad.

There was a third war between these people and the Lacedemonians, which began both at a time, and on the occasion of a great earthquake that happened at Sparta. We shall speak of this war in its place. The history, of which it remains for me to treat in this work, is that of the successors of Alexander, and

comprehends the space of two hundred and ninety three years; from the death of that monarch, and the commencement of the reign of Ptolemy the son of Lagus, in Egypt, to the death of Cleopatra, when that kingdom became a Roman province, under the emperor Augustus.

This history will present to our view a series of all the crimes which usually arise from inordinate ambition. Scenes of jealousy and perfidious conduct; treason, ingratitude, and crying abuses of sovereign power; cruelty, impiety, an utter oblivion of the natural sentiments of probity and honour; with the violation of all laws human and divine, will rise before us. We shall behold nothing but fatal dissentions, destructive wars, and dreadful revolutions. Men, originally friends, brought up together, and natives of the same country, companions in the same dangers, and instruments in the accomplishment of the same exploits and victories, will conspire to tear in pieces the empire they had all concurred to form at the expense of their blood. We shall see the captains of Alexander sacrifice the mother, the wives, the brother, the sisters of that prince, to their own ambition; and without sparing even those to whom they either owed or gave life. We shall no longer behold those glorious times of Greece that were once so productive of great men, and great examples; or, if we should happen to discover some traces and remains of them, they will only resemble the gleams of lightning that shoot along in a rapid track, and are only remarkable from the profound darkness that precedes and follows them.

I acknowledge myself to be sufficiently sensible how much a writer is to be pitied for being obliged to represent human nature in such colours and lineaments as dishonour her, and which occasion inevitable distaste and a secret affliction in the minds of those who are made spectators of such a picture. History loses whatever is most affecting and most capable of conveying pleasure and instruction, when she can only produce those effects, by inspiring the mind with horror for criminal actions, and by a representation of the calamities which usually succeed them, and are to be considered as their just punishment. It is difficult to engage the attention of a reader, for any considerable time, on objects which only raise his indignation, and it would be affronting him to seem desirous of dissuading him from the excess of inordinate passions, of which he conceives himself incapable.

What means are there to preserve and diffuse the agreeable through a narration, which has nothing to offer but an uniform series of vices and great crimes; and which makes it necessary to enter into a particular detail of the actions and characters of men born for the calamity of the human race, and whose very names should not be transmitted to posterity? It may even be thought dangerous to familiarize the minds of the generality of mankind to uninterrupted scenes of too Successful iniquity, and to be particular in describing The unjust success which waited on those illustrious criminals, the long duration of whose prosperity being frequently attended with the privileges and rewards of virtue, may be thought an imputation on Providence by persons of weak understandings.