No More Learning

Certainly ; for otherwife, they never would have conte hither
for Succours. An AfTembly was afterwards convened the fix-
teenth of May, when thefe AmbafTadors by Perfidy and falfc
Reprefentations utterly ruined your Affairs. In five Days, as
I compute, the Phocaeans might have been informed of your
Determinations, for their AmbafTadors were then in Athens,
and it much concerned them to know what Propofils ^fchines
and his Collegues brought home, and what you had decreed.
The Phocasans therefore, according to my Calculation, might
have known your Determinations upon the twentieth. I mean,
in five Days from the fixteenth. Then followed the twenty-
firfl, twenty-fecond, twenty- third, in which a Treaty was.
concluded
7. Our Author is not perfeftly exadl the twenty-th'rd an Alliance was con-
in his reckoning. The AmbaflTadors de- eluded b twetn Philip and i hcbcs, and.
parted on their Embafiy, according to the Phocfeans were deflroyed. The >e-
Doftor Taylor's Calculation^ after the nate w,(S aflembled in the Pyr^rum. and:
third of March, and returned the thir- the News of this Dcllruction re, ( rte 1 at.
teenth of May. The Senate met the fix- A' hens on th^- twenty fcvench
teenth, when they made the Report of This fliortcr Computation ;ray be ufcful;
their Embafiy. Demofthenes computes, to the Reader, and he is indebted for, ic:
that the Phocseans might have received to Do6tor Taylor,
the Athenian Decree the twentieth. On,
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? 30 ORATIONSOF
concluded between Philip and the Thebans, when every Thing
was ruined, and brought to their final Period. How is this
manifeft ? 1 he twenty-feventh the Senate affembled in the
Pyrzeum upon the State of your Marine, when Dercyllus ar-
rived from Chalcis, and gave you an Account, that Phihp had
delivered every Thing into the Hands of the Thebans. He
reckoned that Day the fifth from the Conclufion of the Treaty,
and the twenty-third, fourth, fifth, fixth, and feventh, make
exaflly the five Days, which Dercyllus computed from the
Treaty. Thus by an exa6t Calculation of the Days, upon
which thefe Ambafilidors made their Report of their Embafiy,
and publiilicd their Decree, they ftand convicted of having ftre-
nuoufly afiified Phihp, and adted in Concert with him for the
Defirudion of the Phocseans.
Besides, that none of the Phocaean Cities were taken bj
Siege, or by Aflault, but were utterly ruined by the Treaty
they had concluded, is a convincing Proof, that they fufi^ered
thefe Calamities, becaufe they were perfuaded by your Ambaf-
fadors, that PhiHp would preferve them. For they were not
ignorant of Philip's Charader. Here, give me our Treaty
with the Phoca^ans, and the Decrees by which Philip rafed
their Walls, that you may behold what Alliance fubfifted be-
tween us, and what Misfortunes have befallen them through
? " CD
the Counfels of thefe Enemies of the Gods. Read.
Articles
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? DEMOSTHENES. 31
Articles of Alliance between the Athenians and Piioc^ans.
Such were the Connexions between you and them : Friend-
fhip. Alliance, Succours. Now hear what Calamities they
have endured by this Man's hindering you from aflifting them.
Read.
The Convention! between Philip and the Phoc^ans.
Do you hear, O Men of Athens ? He fays, " the Con-
" vention between Philip and the Phocaeans," not between
the Thebans and Phocsans ; the Theflalians and Phocseans ;
the Locrians or any other People. And again ; he fays>
*' they mufl deliver up their Towns to PhiHp," not to the
Thebans, Theflalians, or any other People. Wherefore? Be-
caufe iiEfchines had declared to you, that Philip had marched
into Thermopyls for the Prefervation of the Phocaeans>> They
therefore placed their entire Confidence in him ; they direded
all their Views towards him ; they concluded a Peace with him.
Let the Secretary read the Remainder. Then do you confider
what they believed, and what they fuffered. Have they any
Likenefs or Refemblance to the Promifes of ^S^fchines ? Read,
The Decree of the Amphictyons.
Calamities, O Men of Athens, more terrible, or greater
than thefe, were never known among the Grecians, neither in
& our^j,
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? 32 ORATIONSOF
ours, nor, I believe, in any former Age. Of Conqneils thus im-
portant, thus numerous, one fmgle Man, by. the Perfidy of
thdQ Ambailadors, is become abfolute Mafter, even whik
Athens ilill exifls, to whom it hath belonged by ancient Cufrom
to hold the Sovereignty of Greece, and not to look with uncon-
cern upon iuch Mifchiefs.
In what Manner, therefore, the unhappy Phoc^eans were
deftroyed, is apparent, not only from thofe Decrees, but from
all the Operations, that followed. A dreadful fpedacle, O
Men of Athens, and full of Mifery. When we lately travelled
to Delphos we were of necellity compelled to fee all tliis Wretch-
ednefs ; Houfes in Ruins ; Walls rafed to the Ground ; the
Country deferted by the young Men ; a few Women and
Children, and old Men, moft miferable. It is impofTible for
Language to cxprefs the Calamities of this unhappy People,
even at this Moment. Yet I have heard you all declare, that
they formerly gave their Vote in Oppofition to the Thebans,
when the Servitude of this Republic was under Debate. What
Sentence therefore, what Judgement do you imagine, O Men
of Atjiens, would our Anceflors, if they returned to Life, pro-
nounce upon the Authors of this Deftrudlion ? In my Opinion,
they would not imagine themfelves guiltlefs of the Treachery,
by which the Phoca^ans were thus totally ruined, if they did
not flone them with even their own Hands. For is it not mofl:
diflionourable,
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? DEMOSTHENES. 33
diflionourable, or rather, if there be any Crime beyond fuch
Turpitude, is it not moft impious, that they, by whom we
were preferved; wlio gave their Vote for our Prefervation,
fhould in return experience fuch Ruin, by the Perfidy of thefe
Traytors, or by tlieir Negledl fhould have fuffercd fuch Mifery,
as no other Grecians ever knew ? who was the Author of this
Mifery ? who was the Impofltor, that deceived you ? was it not
-^fchines ?
Although upon many Accounts, O Men of Athens, vou
may efteem PhiHp extremely happy, yet in this Inftance of his
good Fortune, certainly fuperior to the refl of Mankind ; for
by all our Gods and Goddeftes, I cannot name another Man,
in our Age, fo fortunate. To have taken great Cities, and
fubdued large Territories, with all other Actions of this kind,
are indeed worthy of our Emulation, and, I confefs, exceed-
ing glorious. Unqueftionable. Yet we may affirm, they have
been performed by many others. But this peculiar Felicity,
which was never granted to any other Mortal What is it?
That when he wanted Villains to carry on his Defigns, he found
even greater, than he himlelf expeded, or defired. For how
juftly may Philocrates and iEfchines be faid to deferve this
Charader, who have fold themfelves to Philip, and deceived
you in the very Affairs, in which Philip, although fo deeply
interefted, neither dared to venture a Lie himfelf, nor infert
Vol. II. F it
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? 34 ORATIONS OF
it in his Letters; nor have any of his Ambailiidors ever aflerted
it for him. Antipater and Parmenio, the Minifters of a defpotic
Mafter, who were never to hold Friendship or Correfpondence
with you afterwards, were cautious however, that you fliould
not be impofed upon hy them. On the contrary, thefe chofcn
AmbafTadors of the Athenians ; of a City, that enjoys the moft
unbounded Liberty, had the Hardinefs to deceive even you,
whom they were frequently to meet ; whofe Faces they wece to
behold; with whom they muft necelTarily Hve the Remainder
of their Lives ; to whom they were obliged to render an account
of their Embafly, even you they deceived. Can human Crea-
tures be more vt'icked, or rather more delperate, even ta
Madnefs ?
But to convince you, that this Wretch is already devoted by you
to the infernal Gods, and that it were unholy and impious in you
to acquit the Man, who hath uttered fuch Falfehoods, here j,
take and read the Imprecation contained in this Law.
The Imprecation.
The Herald in your Name, O Men of Athens, pronounces
thefe Imprecations in every Affembly, as commanded by the
Laws, and repeats them to the Senate, when they fit. Neither
is it in the Power of ^Efchines to affirm, he knows them not ;
becaufe, when he was Secretary to your AiTemblies, and a
Servant
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? DEMOSTHENES. 35
Servant in the Senate, he repeated this Law to the Heralij.
Were it not therefore abfurd and monflrous, that what you
yourfelves have commanded ; what you implore the Gods to
? execute in your Name, you yourfelves fhall refufe to execute,
when it is, this Day, in your Power ? On the contrary, the
Man, whom you implore the Gods totally to deflroy, himfclf,
his Relations, and his Family, will you yourfelves acquit?
No, certainly. Him, who can efcape your Vengeance, aflign
to the Gods for his Punifliment; but him, whom you have
within your own Power, do not give them the Trouble of
punifhing. ,
But to fuch Excefs of Shamelefsnefs and Audacioufnefs, I
hear he is arrived, that forgetting all his Adions, all his Decla-
rations, all the Promifes, by which he had deceived the Repub-
lic, and as if he were to be tried before other Judges. , not
before you, who are confcious of his crimes, he propofes, iirfl,
to accufe the Lacedemonians, then the Phocasans and Hege-
{ippus. (8) But the Defign is abfolutely ridiculous, or rather
a fliameful
(8) The Lacedarmonians had been in- Philip had determined utterly to deftroy
vited by Philip to a Congrefs, in which the Phoca^ans. They avoided therefore
they expefted fome certain Territories, all future Engagements witli him, and
they had formerly poflefled, would be left him, perhaps, not without Refeut-
reftored to them. They were not only nient. T hat Retentment, as we may he-
difappointed, but convinced befides, that lieve ^fchines infinuated, really injured
F 2 tlic
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? 36 ORATIONSOF
a fhameful Excefs of Impudence. For whatever Objedlions he
fhall now make with regard to the Phocaeans, the Lacedaemonians
and Hegefippus ; either that the Phocaeans refufed to receive
Proxenus ; that they were impious, or guiky of Bafenefs and
Improbity, or any other Crimes, of which he fhall accufe them,
yet all thefe were equally true before the Ambafladors returned,
and confequently could not have been Obftacles to their Pre-
{ervation. (9) Who made this Declaration? Even iEfchines^
himfelf. For he did not declare, that their Safety depended
upon the Lacedaemonians, or their receiving Proxenus, or upon
the Oppofition of Hegefippus, or this, or any other particular
Circumftance ; he never, at that time, made any Declaration
of this Kind. But pafling over all fuch Objedlions, he de-
clared exprefsly, that he had perfuaded Philip to preferve the
Phocaeans; to fuffer Baeotia to be again inhabited, and to give
you a Power of adling as you pleafed; that all thefe Promifes
fhould be fulfilled in too or three Days, and that the Thebans,
for
the Phocseans, and haftened their De- ported and explained by the Scholiaft.
ftrudion. JEfchines accufes the Phocfeans of Bafe-
Hegefippus, an Orator and Magiftrate nefs and Want of Probity, becaufe,,
of Athens, had oppofed the Refolution when they were yet in Alliance with
of fendinor Ambafladors to negotiate a Athens, they refufed to receive her Ge-
Peace with Philip. He is therefore ima- neral Proxenus, from a Sufpicion, that,
gined to have provoked that Monarch to he intended the Ruin of their Cities. ? He
the Ruin of Phocis, charges them with Impiety, for refufing
(9) The Tranflator here follows a con- to admit fome facred Feftivals, which the
jeftural Reading propofed by Dodor Athenians were accuftomed to celebrate
Taylor j ij ug cciXtCug ha-iv, ^ ug ttovi^- in Phocis.
fo), vi 0, Ti civ lynron, &c. It is fup-
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? DEMOSTHENES. 37
for his fuccefs in thefe Negotiations, had put a Price upon his
Head.
Do not therefore hear, or fuffer him to tell you of any Errors,
committed before his own Declaration, either by the Lacedae-
monians or Phocsans. Do not permit him to accufe the Pho-
caeans of want of Probity. Neither did you formerly protect
the Lacedsemonians for their own Merit, nor thefe devoted
Euboeans, nor many other Nations, but becaufe it was of Ad-
vantage to the Republic, as, in the prefent Inftance, to protect
the Phocaeans. But what Crime did the Phocasans, or the
Lacedaemonians, or you, or any other Mortal commit after
thefe Declarations of ^fchines, that fhould prevent the Effe6h
of his Promifes? Afk him this Queftion, which he fhall never
be able to anlwer. For only five Days intervened, in which
he told his Falfehoods, and you believed them ; in which the
Phocaeans heard them; then voluntarily yielded themfelves,
and perifhed. From whence I imagine, and it is in itfelf clearly
manifeft, that every Fraud, and every Artifice, was employed
for the Deftrudlion of that People. Becaufe, at the time when
Philip had it not in his Power to march into Therm opyl^
without an open Violation of the Peace, but yet was forming
his Operations for that Purpofe, he invited the Lacedsemonians
to a Conference, and promifed every Thing they demanded,
in hopes of preventing their being reconciled, under your Me-
diation. j-.
441323
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? 38 ORATIONSOF
diation, with the Phocasans. But when he had marched into
Thermopylae, and the Lacedemonians, fenfible of the intended
Treachery, had quitted his Party, he once more fecretly em-
ployed this ^fchines to deceive you; left if you Ciould again
perceive, that he was carrying on his fecret Pra6lices with the
Thebans, he might be compelled to hazard fome unfavourable
Conjundture ; to engage in another War, and to confume his
Time while the Phoceeans defended themfelves, and you fentthem
Succours; laftly, that he might without Fatigue or Danger
accomplifli the Defigns, in which he hath fince fucceeded.
Yet becaufe Philip deceived the Lacedaemonians and Phocjeans,
not, for that Reafon, fhould iEfchines with Impunity deceive
the Athenians.
If he fhould aflert, that Cherfonefus is preferved to the Re-
public inftead of Phocis, and Thermopyls, and other Places
we have loft, let me implore you by the Gods, do not admit ;
do not endure, in Addition to the Injuries you have already
received from this Embafty, that this Reproach fhould be
formed, out of his Defence, againft the Commonwealth, that
for the fake of fecretly preferving your own Pofleflions, you
have abandoned the Safety of your Confederates; becaufe, in
Truth, you never adted in this manner. For after the Con-
clufion of the Peace, and while Cherfonefus yet remained in
your PolTeflion, the Phocceans continued four whole Months
8 in
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? DEMOSTHENES. 39
in Safety; but afterwards you were deceived by the Perfidy of
^fchines, and they were deftroyed. Befides you will find
Cherfonefus in greater danger at prefent, than at that Time.
For whether could Philip have been more eafily punifhed for
any Invafion, before he had poffeffed himfelf of our Dominions,
or at prefent ? In my own Opinion, much more eafily at that
Time. How precarious therefore is the fafety of Cherfonefus,
if you take away the Fear and Danger of invading it ?
But iEfchlnes, I hear, intends to urge in his Defence, that
he is furprifed, why Demofthenes, and none of the Phocasans,
accufes him. Permit me to explain the Nature of this Objec-
tion. The beft and wifeft of the Phocasans, now driven out
of their Country, are contented, after having fuffered fuch
Calamities, to reft in Quiet ; nor is any one of them inclined
to undertake, for the general Advantage, a particular Qiiarrel.
Befides, they could not have maintained a Profecution vvithout
Money, and had not a Friend who would fiirnifii the Ex-
pence. (10) Nor have even I given them any Thing to engage
them
(10') Our Orator feems, at firft Sight, withthe Accufersof iEfchines. He will
Incautioufly to have mentioned an Ob- not hire their Clamours in his Favour,
jeftion, that might pufTibly be turned He wants not their Evidence ? , for Truth
againft him. " Why had not you, De- and Fadts themfelves are his Witnefles.
" moilhene? , Generofuy enough to fup- Thus he artfully excufes the Abfence of
? ' port I his unhappy People in this Pro- the Phocsans, and aflerts bis own In-
*' iecution ? " No ? , he difclaims all tegrity.
Appearance of an illicit Correlpondence
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? 40 ORATIONSOF
them to ftand round the Tribunal, and with Clamours to
declare the Miferies they have endured ; becaufe Truth and the
Fa6ls themfelves clamoroufly declare them. But their whole
People are fo cruelly, fo miferably treated, that they have
little Intereft in accufmg the Magiftrates of Alliens, who are
here obliged to render an account of their Condud. Not to be
enllaved ; not to die with Terrour of the Thebans, and
Philip's mercenary Troops, whom, difperfed as they are in
Villages, and deprived of their Arms, they are compelled to
maintain with Provifions. Do not therefore fuffer him to
make fuch Objedions; but command him either to prove,
that the Phocaeans are not really ruined, or that he never pro-
mifed Philip would preferve them. Thefe are the Accounts
you ought to give of your Embafly; what was done ? what
Declarations you made, when you returned? If true, be ac-
quitted ; if falfe, be punidied. " But the Phoc^ans do not
" appear to profecute. " What imports it? I verily think
you have treated them in fuch a manner, as far as was in your
Power, that they are neither able to aflift their Friends, nor
to repel their Enemies.
Yet befides the Ignominy and Difhonour attending this
Embafly, I can eafily demonftrate, that the greateft Dangers
furround the Republic. For who among you is ignorant, that
during the Phocaean War, and while that People were Mafters
of
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? DEMOSTHENES. 41
of Thermopylae, you had no Terrors of the Thebans, i or
were apprehenfive, that either they, or PhiHp, could march
into Peloponnefus, or Eubcea, or Attica ? But that fecurity,
which the Commonwealth enjoyed, both from the fituation of
the Place, and the Difficulty, that Philip would have found
in forcing his Paflage, perfuaded by the Fraud and Falfehood
of your AmbafTadors, you have loft for ever. That Security,
which was fortified by Arms, and perpetual War ; by powerful
Cities, confederate Forces, and a large Extent of Territories,
you have negleded even to Ruin. In vain were your firft
Succours fent to Thermopylce, upon which you expended more
than two ? hundred Talents, computing the private Contribu-
tions of thofe, who undertook the Expedition. In vain your
Hopes of Vengeance againft the Thebans.
But among the many criminal Inftancses, in which JECchi-
nes hath been the Minifter of Philip, permit me to mention
certainly the moft opprobrious both to you and the Republic.
When Philip firft refolved upon all thofe Meafures with Regard
to the Thebans, which he hath fince executed, iEfchines, by his
Declarations to the contrary, and by his manifeftly difcovering
your averfion to thofe Meafures, increafed the Hatred of the
Thebans towards you, and improved their good Opinion of
Philip. Was it pofTible to treat you more injurioufly ? Take
and read the Decrees of Diophantus and Callifthenes, that you
Vol. II. - G may
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? 42 ORATIONSOF
may be convinced, while you aded with a due Regard to your
own Dignity, you were efteemed worthy, both by yourfelves
and others, of offering Sacrifices and Praifes to the Gods; but
the Moment you were deluded by thefe Ambafladors, you tran-
fpor'ted your Children and your Wives into the City, and de-
creed, that the Feftival of Hercules fnould be celebrated with-
in the Walls, even in Time of profound Peace, (ri) I fhall
therefore wonder, if you acquit the Man without fome fignal
Vengeance, whofe Crimes have even hindered you from wor-
fhipping the Gods according to the Ufages of your Anceftors.
Read the Decree of Diophantus.
The Decree.
Thus you decreed, O Men of Athens, at that Time, ac-
cording to the Dignity of the Adions you performed. Now
lead the Decree of Callifthenes.
The Decree.
Thus you decreed when under the Influence of their Coun-
fels. Yet not upon thefe Hopes, nor at the Beginning would
you
( 1 1) Thefe two Decrees are fet in Op- that the People of Attica flionld carry
pofition to each other. When Philip had their Families into Athens, and that the
been repulfed in a former Invafion of Feftival of Hercules, which ufed to be
Phocis, Diophantus ordered public Sa- folemnized in the Country, fhould now
crifices in Gratitude to the Gods. But be celebrated within the Walls of the
when Philip afterwards laid wafte that City. Scholiast.
unhappy Country, Callifthenes decreed>>
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? DEMOSTHENES. 43
you have concluded this Peace and Confederacy, nor afterwards
even by their Perfuafion have inferted that Article, " and to
*' his Pofterity," but becaufe you were convinced, that you
fhould receive fbme marvellous Benefits by their Negotiations.
How often you were afterwards alarmed, when you heard that
the Armies of Philip were approaching Porthmus or Mcgara,
you are all perfectly confcious. It is not therefore the proper
Subjedt of your Inquiries, whether Philip ever invaded Attica,
but whether he had it in his Power, by the Pradlices of thofe
Men, to invade it, whenever he pleafcd. To this Point alone
you fhould fix your Attention, and keep this Danger full in
your View, that the Author of it, by whofe Machinations that
Power was given to Philip, may be detefted and punilhed.
I KNOW that i^fchines will avoid the Proofs of this Accufa-
tion, and endeavour to carry you away as far as poilible from
Fa6ts, by difplaying the Bleflings, that arife to Mankind from
Peace, and the Calamities, that fpring from War ; and finally,
that he will pronounce a Panegyric upon Peace, and make it
his Defence. But even by this Defence is he condemned. For
if Peace, which is the Caufe of Bleflings to others, hath been
to us the Caufe of fuch DiftreiTes, and Confufion, what Ihall
we conclude, except, that by receiving Prefents from Philip,
he hath corrupted a Thing in its own Nature moft excellent ?
*' But our three hundred Gallies, with all their Equipage,
G 2 " were
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? 44 ORATIONSOF
" were they not faved ? Our Revenues, were they not, and
" will they not hereafter be augmented by the Peace? " Such
Objeaioiis may poflibly be made- But you fhould recoiled
in anfwer, that Philip's Affairs gathered much greater Strength
in Proportion ; his military Operations ; his Territories and
Revenues, became more confiderable. Somewhat of this Kind
we alfo gained. But while the reft of Mankind obtain fome
Advantages either for themfelves, or their more powerful Con-
federates, by their Revenues and their Alliances, ours have
been fold by thefe Tray tors; they have been ruined and en-
feebled, while thofe of Philip are become far greater and more
formidable. Neither is it juft, that he fhould grow powerful
by their AfTiftance both in his Alliances and his Revenues, and
that the Benefits, which naturally arife from Peace, fhould be
eftimated to us in recompence of thole, which thefe bad Men
have fold. Neither did we receive them as a recompence. Far
otherwile. We fhould have certainly obtained the common
Advantages of Peace, to which thofe others would have been
added, if it had not been for your AmbafTadors, (12)
Upon
C 1 2) The Pafiage is not without Ob- and yet not have loft their Allies, if their
/ fcurity. Our Author reckons an Im- Ambafladors had maintained their Inte-
provement of the Revenues of a State grity.
among the natural, regular Confequences The Tranflator follows a conjeflural
of Peace ; but Alliances and Confede- Reading propofed by Doftor Markland,
racies are among its extraordinary Ad- and ftrongly fupported by the Authority
vantages. The Athenians might have of the Context. *; Si rm tt^oitoSuv x<<-
improved and prelerved their Revenues, rua-x^vv inftead of Tr^xyi^dTuv.
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? DEMOSTHENES.
45
Upon the whole, O Men of Athens, let us acknowledge it
juft, that although many fevere Misfortunes have happened to
the Republic, yet if -ffifchines be not the Occafion of theni,
your Anger fliould not fall on him ; or if any other Citizen
Jiath aded according to his Duty, let not the Merit of that Man
pfeferve him. Confider thofe meafures alone of which he is
really the Author, then grant him your Favour, if he be worthy
of it, and on the contrary, let him feel your Indignation, if
his Actions deferve it. But how fhall you diftinguiih with
Juflice ? By not permitting him to confound the Objedls of
your Inquiries, the Faults of your Generals, the War againfi:
Philip, and the Bleflings of Peace, but confidering each of
them feparately. For Inftance; was War proclaimed againfi:
Philip ? It was. In this Inftance, who impeaches iEfchines ?
Does any one accufe him for the Condudl of this War? None>>
Acquit him therefore of its Misfortunes. Neither fhould he
mention them in his Defence; becaufe in thefe doubtful
Trials, it is neceftary, that the Perfon accufed fhould produce
his Witneftes, and enforce the Proofs of his Innocence, but not
impofe upon his Judges by defending himfelf from Crimes,
of which he is confefledly not guilty. Therefore be cautious,
^fchines, of mentioning the War, becaufe no one accufes you
on that account. In another Inftance ; fome of our Orators
afterwards perfuaded us to make a Peace. We yielded to their
Per-
8
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? ^6 ORATIONSOF
Perfuafions ; we fent Ambafladors to Philip ; they brought
with them hither the Perfons appointed to ratify the Peace.
Here again, does any one accufe -^fchines ? Does any one af-
fert, that he engaged us to accept this Peace, or that he is
guilty, becaufe he brought with him the Perfons appointed to
conclude it? Not one. Nothing therefore fhould be pleaded
by him with Regard to the Republic's having concluded this
Peace, becaufe he was not the Author of it.
What Crime therefore, my Friend Demofthenes, do you
impute to him (for fuch a Queftion may be afked) and from
whence do you begin to accufe him? From hence, O Men
of Athens ; becaufe when you deliberated, not indeed whether
a Peace fhould be concluded, for that was already decreed,
but upon what Conditions, he vehemently oppofed whoever
infifted upon juft and reafonable Terms, and being himfelf cor-
rupted, fupportcd Philocrates, who formed his Decree upon
the Bribes he had received: becaufe, when he was afterwards
chofen for the Requifition of Philip's Oath, he never executed,
in any one Inftance, the Orders you had given him; becaufe he
totally ruined thofe Confederates, who efcaped from the Dangers
of War, and becaufe he told fuch monftrous Falfehoods, as no
other human Creature, either before, or fmce, ever uttered. For
when Philip opened the Negotiations for Peace, Ctefiphon and
Ariftodemus undertook the Beginning of this Impofture, but
when
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? DEMOSTHENES. 47
when Affairs were to be carried into Execution, they configned
it to Philocrates and iEfchines, who received it, and effcdually
ruined every tiling. However, fince he is now obHged to ren-
der an Account of his Enibally, and fubmit to the Punifhment
he deferves, (13) this Contriver of all Villainies, this Enemy
to the Gods, this public Notary, I prefume, will make his
Defence, as if he were tried meerly on Account of the Peace.
Not with Defign however of pleading his Innocence with re-
gard to other Crimes, befides thofe of which he is accufed
(for fuch a Defign were Madnefs) but he confiders, that in all
his Condu6l there has been nothing eftimable, indeed every
Thing criminal, whereas an Apology for Peace, if nothing
elfe, hath at leafl: a Name, which is grateful to our Huma-
nity. Yet I fear, O Men of Athens, I greatly fear, we may
too late be fenfible, that we have engaged in this Peace, like
People, who borrow Money at an exorbitant Intereft ; be-
caufe, its beft Security, and Firmnefs (the Phocsans and Ther-
mopylze) thefe Men have betrayed. Not under his Influence,
however, did we at firft conclude this Peace. But (it is indeed
ridiculous, what I am going to fay, yet abfolutely true) who-
ever fincerely rejoices in this Peace, let him acknowledge his
Obhgation for it to our Generals, whom every one condemns.
Becaufe,
(13) This little Part of the Sentence la fena de gU errori co-inmejji, and an old
hath been overlooked by Wolfius, and anonymous latin Trandacion, although
all his Editors, y. x\ StK'/jv VTrsy/siv. The in fomewhat a different Senfe, ei judi~
careful Italian Tranflator gives it, e patir cium ? -crum adminifralarum fubire.
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? 48 ORATIONSOF
Becaiifc, if they had condu6led the War according to your
Inilrudions, you never would have endured the Name of Peace.
Your Generals therefore have given you this Peace, but your
corrupt Ambafiadors have rendered it dangerous, uncertain
and fallacious. Forbid him then, forbid him his Declamations
upon the Bleflings of Peace, and confine him to the fimple
Recital of Fads; becaufe ^fchines is not accufed for having
made this Peace, but the Peace itfelf is condemned for the
Condudl of i^fchines. In Proof of this AfTertion, if it had
been concluded, and you had never afterwards been deceived,
nor any of your Confederates deftroyed, what mortal Man could
this Peace have aggrieved, except that it was concluded with
Ignominy; and although iEfchines made himfelf a Partner in that
Ignominy by giving his Suffrage to Philocrates, yet the Wound
was not incurable.
Many other Mifchiefs, I am perfuaded, he hath occafioned,
and that all this Deftrudlion and Ruin have proceeded from
the Turpitude and Corruption of your Ambafladors, I prefume,
you are univerlally convinced. For my own Part, fo far from
introducing a Spirit of Calumny into the Profecution of this
Affair, or expecting you fhould approve of it, that if his Errors
have proceeded from Imprudence or Simplicity, or any other
kind of Ignorance, I both acquit him myfelf, and advife you
to acquit him. Yet fuch Excufes cannot be agreeable either
to
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? DEMOSTHENES. 49
to Policy or Juftice, becaufe you never command or compel
your Citizens to undertake the Adminiftration of your Aftairs,
but when any of them perfuades himfelf, that he is able to fup-
port the Burthen of Miniftry, then, ading like Men of Wifdom
and Humanity, you receive him with Complacency and with-
out Envy. You give him your Suffrages ; you commit your
Affairs into his Hands. If he fucceeds, he fhall be honoured,
and diftinguifhed from the Vulgar; if he be unfortunate, fhall
he make Excufes and Apologies ? Unreafonable and unjuft.
It will not fatisfy our Confederates, who were deftroyed, or
their Children, their Wives, or any others, if by my Impru-
dence (that I may not fay his Imprudence) they have luffered
fuch Calamities. Far otherwife. Yet pardon iEfchines even
thefe atrocious and exceflive Crimes, if he fhall appear to have
committed them through Simplicity, or any Sort of Ignorance ;
but if through his own Depravity he hath received Bribes and
Prefents ; or if he fhall be clearly convidled even by his own
Adions, then, if poffible, confiftently with your Laws, let him
fuffer Death ; if not, let him live, but make him an Example
to the reft of Mankind.
Now confider with yourfelves how juft will be his Condem-
nation. The Declarations he made you concerning the P. ho-
casans, the Thefpians and Euboeans (if he had not fold him-
felf and voluntarily deceived you) he muft of Neceffity have
Yoh, II. ? H either
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