sciences. His court was the ordinary residence of those famous and learned men, so revered by antiquity, and distinguished by the name of the Seven Wise Men of Greece. Solon, one of the most celebrated amongst them, after having established new laws at Athens, went to Sardis, where he was received in a manner suitable to the reputation of so great a man. The king, attended with a numerous court, appeared in all his regal pomp and splendor, dressed in the most magnificent apparel, which was all over enriched with gold, and glittered with diamonds. Notwithstanding the novelty of this spectacle to Solon, it did not appear that he was the least moved at it, or that he uttered a word which discovered the least surprise or admiration; on the contrary, people of sense might sufficiently discern from his behaviour, that he looked upon all this outward pomp, as an indication of a little mind, which knows not in what true greatness consists. This coldness and indifference in Solon's first approach gave the king no favourable opinion of his new guest. He afterwards ordered that all his treasures, his magnificent apartments, and costly furniture, should be shown him; as if he expected by the multitude of his fine vessels, diamonds, statues, and paintings, to conquer the philosopher's indifference. But it was the king that Solon was come to visit, and not the walls or chambers of his palace. He had no notion of making an estimate of his worth, by these outward appendages, but by himself and personal qualities. When Solon had seen all, he was brought back to the king. Croesus then asked him, which of mankind in all his travels, he had found the most truly happy?" One Tellus," replied Solon, 66 a citizen of Athens, a very honest and good man, who had lived all his days without indigence, had always seen his country in a flourishing condition, had children that were universally esteemed, with the satisfaction of seeing those children's children, and at last died gloriously fighting for his country." Such an answer as this, in which gold and silver were. accounted as nothing, seemed to Croesus to argue a strange ignorance and stupidity. However, as he flattered himself with being ranked in the second degree of happiness, he asked hiin, who of all those he had seen was the next in felicity to Tullus? Solon answered, "Cleobis and Biton, of Argos, two brothers, who had, left behind them a perfect pattern of fraternal affection, and of the respect due from children to their parents. Upon a solemn festival, when their mother, a priestess of Juno, was to go to the temple, the oxen that were to draw her not being ready, the two sons put themselves to the yoke, and drew their mother's chariot thither, which was above five miles distant. All the mothers of the place, ravished with admiration, congratulated the priestess on the piety of her sons. She, in the transport of her joy and thankfulness, earnestly entreated the goddess to reward her children with the best thing that hea ven could give to man. Her prayers were heard. When the sacrifice was over, her two sons fell asleep in the very temple, and there died in a soft and peaceful slumber. In honour of their piety, the people of Argos consecrated statues to them in the temple of Delphos.' "What! then," says Croesus, “ you do not reckon me in the number of the happy !" Solon, who was not willing either to flatter or exasperate him, replied calmly, King of Lydia, besides many other advantages, the gods have given us Grecians a spirit of moderation and reserve, which hath produced amongst us a plain popular kind of philosophy, accompanied with a certain generous freedom, void of pride or ostentation; and therefore not well suited to the courts of kings. philosophy, considering what an infinite number of vicissitudes and accidents the life of man is liable to, does not allow us either to glory in any prosperity we enjoy ourselves, or to admire happiness in others, which perhaps may prove only transient or superficial." hence he took occasion to observe to him further, That the life of man seldom exceeds seventy years, which are made up of months, weeks, and days, not two of which are exactly alike: so that the time to come is nothing but a series of various accidents which cannot be foreseen. Therefore, in our opinion (continued he) no man can be esteemed happy, but he whose 66 66 * Φιλαδέλφως καὶ φιλομήτορας διαφερόντως ανδρας. This From happiness God continues to the end of his life.* As for others, who are perpetually exposed to a thousand dangers, we account their happiness as uncertain as the Ultima semper Expectanda dies homini est, dicique beatus Juv. SAT. X. 274. Croesus, if we judge of him by the character he bears in history, was a very good prince, and worthy of esteem in many respects. He had a great deal of goodnature, affability, and humanity. His palace was a receptacle for men of wit and learning, which shows that he himself was a person of learning, and had a taste for the sciences. His weakness was, that he laid a great stress upon riches and magnificence, thought himself great and happy in proportion to his possessions, mistook regal pomp and splendor for true and solid greatness, and fed his vanity with the excessive submission of those that stood in a kind of adoration before him. Those learned men, those wits, and other courtiers who enriched themselves by his bounty and liberality, took care not to differ from the prince's taste, and never thought of undeceiving him with respect to his errors and false ideas. Esop, the author of the Fables, who had formerly been a slave, and still retained somewhat of the spirit and character of slavery, then at the court of this prince, observing that Solon was looked upon with coldness after his conversation with the king, said to him by way of advice, 66 Solon, we must either not come near princes at all, or speak things that are agreeable to them." 66 Say rather," replied Solon," that we should either never come near them at all, or else speak such things as may be for their good." Seneca is perfectly of Solon's opinion. Speaking of what great use a faithful and sincere friend may be to a prince, he says, illis, non quod volunt audire, sed quod audisse semper volent.-Plenas aures adulationibus aliquando vera vox intret ; da consilium utile. Quæris, quid felici præstare possis Efficiet, ne felicitati suæ credat. Parum in il Dic crown to a person that is engaged in battle, and has not yet obtained the victory.' It was not long before Croesus experienced the truth of what Solon had told him. He had two sous; one of whom being dumb, was a perpetual subject of affliction to him. The other, named Atys, was distinguished by every good quality, and was his great consolation and delight. One day there was to be an extraordinary hunting-match for the killing of a wild boar, which had committed great ravages in the neighbourhood. All the young lords of the court were to be at this hunting. Atys very earnestly importuned his father that he would give him leave to be present. The king granted his request; but put him under the care of a discreet young prince, who had taken refuge in his court, and was named Adrastus; and this very Adrastus, as he was aiming his javelin at the boar, unfortunately killed Atys. It was impossible to express either the affliction of the father when he heard of this fatal accident, or of the unhappy prince, the innocent author of the murder, who expiated his fault with his blood, stabbing himself in the breast with his own sword, upon the funerai pile of the unfortunate Atys. Two whole years were spent on this lum contuleris, si illi semel stultam fiduciam permansuræ semper potentiæ excusseris, docuerisque mobilia esse quæ dedit casus; ac sæpe inter fortunam maximam et ultimam nihil interesse." SEN. DE BENEF. lib. vi. c. 33. i. e. Tell them not what they choose to hear, but what they will wish they had heard. Give them wholesome advice; let a word of truth reach those ears which are perpetually fed and entertained with flattery. You will ask me what service can be done to a person arrived at the highest pitch of felicity? It will teach him not to trust in his prosperity; it will remove that vain confidence he has in his power and greatness, as if they were to endure for ever; make him understand that every thing which belongs to, and depends upon fortune, is as unstable as herself; and that there is often but the space of a moment between the highest elevation and the most unhappy downfall. occasion in deep mourning, the afflicted father's thoughts being wholly taken up with the loss he had sustained. But the growing reputation and great qualities of Cyrus, king of Persia, who then began to make himself known, roused his martial spirits, and diverted his mind to other thoughts. A war commenced between the two kings; in the course of which Cyrus laid siege to Sardis, and carried it; and likewise took Croesus captive. Cræsus, being a prisoner, was condemned by the conqueror to be burnt alive, with fourteen young Lydians, as a sacrifice and first fruits of his victory. Accordingly the funeral pile was prepared; and that unhappy prince being laid thereon, and just upon the point of execution, recollecting the conversation he formerly had with Solon, was wofully convinced of the truth of that philosopher's admonition; and in remembrance thereof, cried out aloud three times, “O Solon, Solon, Solon!" Cyrus, who with the chief officers of his court, was present at this spectacle, was curious to know why Croesus pronounced that celebrated philosopher's name with so much vehemence in his extremity. Being told the reason, and reflecting upon the uncertain state of all sublunary things, he was touched with commiseration of the prince's misfortunes, caused him to be taken from the pile, and treated him afterwards, as long as he lived, with honour and respect.* Thus had Solon the glory with one single sentence to save the life of one king, and give a wholesome lesson of instruction to another. HEROD. lib. i. c. 18.-86-91. PLUT. IN SOLON. ROLL. ANT. HIST. vol. ii. MONIMA was a lady whom all Greece admired, not so much for her beauty, though confessedly exquisite, as for her wisdom and prudence. Mithridates, king of Pontus, who, excepting Alexander, was the greatest of kings, having fallen desperately in love with her, had forgotten nothing that might incline her to favour his * Καὶ δοξανἔχενο Σόλων ἑνὶ λόγω τον μεν σωσας, τον δὲ παίδευσα, των βασιλεων. PLUT. |