became altogether degenerate, and rofe to
that Height of Pride and Infolence to which
we have been WitnefTes ?
BUT the Crimes of thefe Men are, it feems,
in the Opinion of his Accufer, to be charged
upon SOCRATES j yet allows he no Praife for
keeping them within the Bounds of their
Duty in that Part of Life which is generally
found the moil intemperate and untradtable :
Neverthelefs, on all other Occaiions, Men
judge not in this Manner. For, what Teacher
of Mufic, or any other Art or Science, was
ever known to incur Cenfure, becaufe the
Scholar, whom he had well inftrucled, for-
got all he had been taught, when placed
. ' under
2$ MEMOIRS of
under the Care of fome other Matter ? Or
what Father would condemn thofe Compa-
nions of his Son, with whom the firft Years
of his Life had been fpent innocently \ be-
caufe afterwards he had been drawn afide into
Riot and Debauchery, by aflfociating himfelf
with very different People ? will he not, ra-
ther beftow the greater Praife on the one,
by how much more he fees his Son hath
been corrupted by the other ? *- Even Pa-
rents, themfelves, are not blamed for the
Faults of their Children, though educated
under their own Eye, provided they are care-
ful not to fet before them any ill Example.
HERE, then, is the Teft, whereby to have
tried SOCRATES: " Hath his Life been
wicked ? let him be confidered, and cori-
demn'd, as a wicked Man : But, if other-
wife ; if he hath fteadily and invariably per-
fevered in the Paths of Virtue, accufe him
not of Crimes, which his Soul never knew."
" YET, it may be, he countenanced thofe
Vices in others, which in his own Perfon he
icbpfe not to coipmit."
BUT
SOCRATES. 29
BUT far from SOCRATES were all fuch
Compliances ! -On the Contrary, when CRI-
TIAS was enfnared with the Love of EUT HY-
DE MUS, he earneftly endeavoured to cure
him of fo bafe a Paffion ; mewing how il-
liberal, how indecent, how unbecoming the
Man of Honour, to fawn, and cringe, and
meanly act the Beggar : Before him, too,
whom of all others he the mod earneflly
ftrove to gain the Efteem of ; and, after all,
for a Favour which carried along with it the
greateft Infamy. And when he fucceeded not
in his private Remonftrances , CRITIAS ftill
perfifting in his unwarrantable Defigns,
SOCRATES, it is faid, reproached him in
the Prefence of many, and even before the
beloved EUTHYDEMUS ; refembling him to a
Swine, the moft filthy and difgufting of all
Animals. For this Caufe CRITIAS hated him
ever after , and, when one of The nirty,
being advanced, together with CHARICLES,
jto prefide in the City, he forgot not the
Affront -, but, in order to revenge it, made
a Law, wherein it was forbidden that any
fhould
30 MEMOIRS of
fhould teach Pbilofophy in Athens : (PJ By
'which he meant, having nothing in particular
againft SOCRATES, to involve him in the Re
proach caft by this Step on all the Philofo-
phers ; and thereby render him, in common
with the reft, odious to the People : For /
never heard SOCRATES lay that he taught
Philofophy -, neither did I know any who
ever did hear him : But CRITIAS was ftung ;
and he determined to fhew it. Now
after The Thirty had put to Death many
of the Citizens, and fome of them of the beft
Rank -, (?) and had given up the Reins to all
Manner of Violence and Rapine ; SOCRATES
had faid fomewhere, " that it would aftonifh
him much, if he who loft Part of the Herd
every Day, while the reft grew poorer and
weaker under his Management, mould deny
his being a bad Herdfman : But it would af-
tonifh
(p) This Law was again abrogated upon the Expulfiqn
of the Thirty Tyrants. See POTTER "s Grecian Anti^mtles^
Yd. i. Chap. 25.
(q) It is faid, that the Number of Thofe put to Death by
thefe Tyrants, were Fourteen Hundred ; and this, withou*
the leaft Form of Law : Befides Five Thoufsnd, who were,
driven i
SOCRATES. 31
him ftill more, if he who had the
Charge of the City, and faw the Number of
Iris Citizens decreafe hourly, while the reft
became more difiblute and depraved under
his Adminiftration, mould be fhamelefs enough
not to acknowlege himfelf, an evil Ruler."
Thefe Words, therefore, of SOCRATES, being
told to CRITIAS and CHARIOLES, they fent
for -him; and fhewing him theLaw, ftraitly for-
bad him to difcourfe any more with the young
Men. SOCRATES then afked, " if it was
permitted him to propofe fome Queftions,
touching fome Parts of the faid Law ; which
he faid he could not thoroughly underftand ;"
and being anfwered it was permitted : " I
am always, faid he, moil ready to obey the
Laws -, but, to the End I may not tranfgrefs
unwittingly, inform me, I pray you, whether
you take Philofophy, as it Hands here con-
demned by you, to confift in Reafoning right ,
or Reafoning wrong ; fince, if you intend it
to imply the firft, then muft we henceforth
beware how we Reafon right ; but if the lat-
ter is meant, the Confequence is plain, then
muft we endeavour to mend our Reafoning."
AT
32 MEMOIRS of
AT thefe Words, CHARICLES being much
enraged, faid to him, " Since you are fo ig-
norant, SOCRATES, and with all, fo dull of
Apprehenfion, we will exprefs ourfelves in
Terms fomewhat more eafy to be underftood ;
refrain altogether from talking with the
young Men."
" IT is well, ahfwered SOCRATES ; but*
that nothing of Ambiguity may remain in
the prefent Cafe, tell me, I pray you, how
long are Men called young ?"
" So long, replied CHARICLES, as they are
refufed Admittance into the Senate ; as fup-
pofed not yet arrived at Maturity of Judg-
ment: Or, in other Words, 'till they are
Thirty."
** BUT, fuppofe I fhould want to buy fome-
thing of a Merchant, muft I not afk the Price
of it, if the Man is under Thirty ?"
" WHO fays any fuch Thing ? returned
CHARICLES: But SOCRATES, faid he, it is
fo much your Cuftom to afk Queftions, when
you
SOCRATES. 33
you are not ignorant of the Matter in Hand,
that I do not wonder at your doing fo now:
Let us, however, have done for the prefent
with your trifling Interrogatories."
" BUT what if fome young Man, as he
pafles along, fhould afk me in Hafte, " where
lives CHARICLES ? where's CRITIAS gone ?"
muft I not anfwer him ?"
" IT is hardly intended to prohibit fuch
Things," returned CHARICLES : When CRI-
TIAS interrupting them j " and /, SOCRATES,
/can inform thee of fome thing more thou haft
to refrain from : Keep henceforth at a pro-
per Diftance from the Carpenters, Smiths,
and Shoemakers j and let us have no more
of your Examples from among them : And
befides , I fancy, they are fufficiently tired
with your bringing them in fo often in your
long Difcourfes."
" MUST I like wife give up the Confer-
uences, faid SOCRATES, dedudble from
thefe Examples ; and concern myfelf no lon-
ger with Juftice and Piety, and the Rules
of Right and Wrong ?"
E THOU
34 MEMOIRS of
" THOU muft, by Jupiter ! replied CHA-
RICLES : And SOCRATES, faid he, to make
all fure , trouble not thyfelf any more with
the Herdfmen > for Fear thotc fhould'ft occa-
fion the Lofs of more Cattle." ( r )
Now, from this, it is evident, that what
SOCRATES once faid concerning the Cattle^ be-
ing told thefe Men, had greatly inflamed their
Rage againft him : Hence alfo may be feen,
how long CRITIAS continued to afibciate with
SOCRATES ; and what the Affection they
had for each other. I might here likewife
add, how ieldom it is we make Proficiency
under People who are not pleafing to us i
and, that the Converfation of SOCRATES did
not render him fo either to CRITIAS or AL-
CIBIADES, may well be fuppofed. Even at
the
(r) Some underfland this as referring to a certain Coin
in Ufe among the Athenians, whereon was ftampt the Figure
of an Ox, asif CHARICLES had threatened SOCRATES with
a Fine ; -but there are others, and feemingly, with more Rea-
i fon, who think that CHARICLES aimed his Menace, rather
at the Life, than Wealth of SOCRATES, when he thus turns
his own Words upon him j and bids him take Care, '* that he
himfejf does not occafion the Lofs of more Cattle/ 1 It ftems
'4 Witticifm too, well fuiting fuch a Man.
SOCRATES. 35
the very Time they followed him, their chief
Delight was in converting with fuch Per-
ibns as they believed the molt fkilful in the
Affairs of State : Their only Defign being
to govern the Republic. And, agreeably to
this-, they tell us that ALCIBIADES, when un-
der the Age of Twenty, coming to PERICLES
his Tutor, and at that Time fole Director of
the Athenian State, entered into the follow-
ing Converfation with him concerning the
Laws.
" MY PERICLES, faid he, can you explain
to me what a Law is ?" " Undoubtedly,"
returned the other. " Then, I conjure you
by the immortal Gods ! faid ALCIBIADES,
inftruft me in this Point : For when I hear
Men praifed for their ftri6t Obfervance of
the Laws -, it feems to me evident, that he
can no Way pretend to that Praife, who is
altogether ignorant what a Law is."
"Your Requeft, my ALCIBIADES, is not
difficult to be complied with : For that is a
Law, which the People agree upon in their
public AfTemblies, and afterwards caufe to
2 be
36 MEMOIRS of
be promulgated in a proper Manner \ or-
daining what oHgbt^ or ought not, to be done,"
" AND what do they ordain ^ to do Good*
or to do Evil?"
" Not Evil, mod aflu redly, my young
Man."
" BUT what do you call that, faid ALCIBI-
ADES, which in States where the People have
no Rule, is advifed and ordained by The Few
who may be then in Power ? "
" I CALL that likewife a Law, replied PERI-
CLES*, for the Laws are nothing but the In-
jun&ions of fuch Men as are in PofTeflion of
the Sovereign Authority."
" BUT when a Tyrant is poflefled of this
Sovereign Authority, are the Things be or*
dams, to be received as Laws /"'
"A$ Laws," returned PERICLES.
" WHAT then is Violence and Injujlice? faid
ALCIBIADES ? Is it not when the Strong
compel
SOCRATES. 37
compel the more weak; not by Mildnefs and
Perfuafion, but Force, to obey them ? "
" I THINK, it is."
" WILL it not then follow, that what a Ty-
rant decrees, and compels the Obfervance of,
not only without, but contrary to the Will of
the People ; is not Law , but the very Re-
verfe to it ? "
" I BELIEVE it mayv aniwered PERICLES ;
for I cannot admit that as a Law, which a Ty-
rant ena&s, contrary to the Will of the
People."
" AND when the Few impofe their Decrees
on the Many, not by Perfuafion, but Force :
Are we to call this alfo Violence ? "
" WE are , and truely, I think, faid PE-
RICLES, that whatever is decreed and enforced,
without the Confent of thofe who are hereafter
to obey , is not Law, but Violence."
" THEN ought that alfo, which is decreed
by the People, contrary to the Will of the
Nobles,
38 MEMOIRS of
Nobles, to be deemed Violence, rather
Law?"
" No Doubt of it, replied PERICLES :
But, my ALCIBIADES, continued he - y at your
Age, we were fomewhat more acute in thefe
Subtil ties, when we made it our Bufmefs to
confider them ; as we now fee you."
To which, it is faid, ALCIBIADES returned
Anfwer, " Would to the Gods then, my
PERICLES, I might have converfed with you
at the Time when you befl underftood thefe
Sort of Things ! " In Confequence there-
fore, of this moil ambitious Difpofition ; no
fooner did thefe Men fuppofe they had ac-
quired fome Advantages over the Perfons then
employed in the Adminiftration -, but they
forbore to aflbciate any longer with SOCRATES :
For, befides that his Company was no Way
pleating to them, on other Confiderations ;
they could ftill lefs brook his frequent Re-
monftrances for the many Irregularities of
their Lives : Therefore, they plunged at
once, into Bufmefs, and the Affairs of
the Commonwealth i the only End^ for
which
SOCRATES.
39
which they had ever been among his Fol-
lowers.
BUT CRITO, CH^ROPHON, CH/ERECRATES,
SIMMIAS, CEBES, PH^EDO, and many others,
were continually with him , not from the
Hope of becoming by his Means, better Ora-
tors> whether at the Bar, or before the Peo-
ple \ but better Men : Capable of difcharging
all thofe Duties which they owed to them-
felves, to their Country, to their Families,
their Friends, their Fellow-Citizens. And,
f# far were thefe Men from pradifing what
was dilhoneft, that whether in Youth or in
Age, not one of them ever incurred even the
Sufyicion of any Crime.
BUT, faith his Accufer, " SOCRATES encou-
rageth his Followers to defpife their Parents ;
inafmuch as he perfuadeth them, that be is
able to make them wifer than they : Declaring
(till farther i That, as it is lawful for a Son,
to confine his Father in Chains, when convic-
tedof Madnefs-, fo ought the Ignorant alfo to
be confined by him, who is poflefled of fu-
perior Knowlege."
Now,
40 MEMOIRS of
Now, whatever his Accufer might endea-
vour to infmuate , it is certain SOCRATES was
very far from being of fuch an Opinion. On
the Contrary, it was common with him to fay,
" That, whoever pretended, to confine an-
other, on the Account of his Ignorance, might
himfelf be thus treated, by thofe who were ftill
more knowing." And to this Purpofe, he
would often difcourfc on the efiential Diffe-
rence between Madnefs and Ignorance ; faying,
on fuch Occafions, plainly, and clearly ;
" That, it was indeed necefTary, and for the
Benefit of himfelf \ as well as his Friends, that
the Madman fhould be enchained; fyut, that
he who was ignorant, in any Thing ufeful,
fhould only be initrudted, by fuch Perfons as
were qualified to give him proper Inflruction."
His Accufer, however, went on to afTert,
" That SOCRATES, not only taught the Youth
to have a Contempt for their Parents, but for
the reft of their Kindred , fince he would fre-
quently declare, that when Men were fick, or
had a Law-fuit upon their Hands, they had
not Recourfe to any of their Kindred for Re-
lief 5 but to the Lawyer in one Cafe, and the
Phyfician
S O C RAT E S. 41
Phyfician in the other. And, with Regard to
Friend/hip^ he would like wife fay, " That an
ufelefs Good-will, unaccompanied with the
Power of fervin'g, was little to be accounted
of: But, the Man to be efleemed and pre-
ferred, fliould be one, who not only knows
what is for our Advantage, but can fo explain
it, as to make us likewife know it ;" thereby
infmuating, as was pretended, into the Minds
of the Youth; that he himfelf was the Friend
to be chofen before any other j as being the
beft able to direct in the Way of Wifdom ;
while the reft of Mankind, in Comparifon
with him, were of fmall Eftimation.
Now, that I myfelf have heard him talk
after fome fuch Manner, concerning Relations,
Fathers, and Friends, is moft certain. And I
remember him faying, " That, when the
Soul, in which Thought and Reafon alone
refide, retires from the Body ; although it
may be the Body of a Father, or a Friend, we
remove it from our Sight as fpeedily as well
may be. And, whereas no Man can be
doubted as to the Love he beareth to his own
Body ; yet, who is there, would he afk, that
F fcruples
42 MEMOIRS of
fcruples to take away from it, the Part that is
fuperfluous ? to cut the Hair, or pare the Nails ;
or remove the whole Limb, when mortified ?
for which Purpofe the Surgeon is called in ,
and the Steel and the Cauftick, not only rea-
dily fubmitted to, but the Hand which ap-
pHes them, liberally rewarded. The Spittle,
he would fay, Men were glad to caft from
them, becaufe, remaining in the Mouth it was
both ufelefs and offenfive. But, notwithftand-
ing all this, SOCRATES never intended, though
he talked in fuch a Manner, that Fathers were
to be buried alive , or that he himfelf ihould
have a Limb taken off-, but, he intended to
let us fee, that whatever is ufekfs, can be of
no Eftimation ; in order to excite in his
Hearers a Defire to improve , and make them-
felves, as far as may be, ferviceable to others ;
to the End, that if they wifhed to be regarded
by their Parents; or refpected and honoured
by their Brethren, or Kindred; they might
urge their Claim on the Account of Merit ;
and not owe the Whole ^ only to Consanguinity"
" But, fays his Accufer, SOCRATES, the
better to convey ; and, at the fame Time, con-
ceal the Malignity of his Intentions ; hath
chofen
SOCRATE S. 43
chofen manyPaffages from our mod celebrated
Poets, whereby to convey his Poifon to the
People ; and difpofe them, the more readily,
to Fraud and OpprefTion;" for having often
cited that Line of HESIOD'S,
" Employ thyfelf in any Thing^ rather than
ftand idle ;"
It was pretended he meant to infmuate it, as
the Poet's Opinion, " That no Employment,
whatever, could be unjuft, or difhonourable,
from whence Profit might arife ," whereas,
in Truth, nothing could be farther from the
Defign of SOCRATES : For, although he con-
ftantly maintained, that Labour and Employ-
ment were not only ufeful^ but honourable \
and Idlenefs no lefs reproachful^ ti&n. pernicious
to Man ; T- yet, he never concluded without
faying, " That he^ alone, could be confidered
as not idle, who was employed in procuring
fome Good to Mankind ; but that the Game-
fler, the Debauchee, and every other, whofe
End was only Evil, were emphatically to be
called fo , and, in this Senfe, he might, with
goodReafon, adopt that Line of HESIOD'S,
F 2 " Employ
44 MEMOIRS of
" Employ thyfelf in any T'king, rather than
Hand idle."
BUT it was ftill farther alleged, that SO-
CRATES frequently introduced thefe Lines of
HOMER j where, Ipeaking of ULYSSES, he
fays,
Each Prince of Name, or Chief in Arms approv'd,
He fir'd with Praife, or withPerfuafion movM :
<c Warriors like you, with Strength and Wifdom bleft,
By brave Examples Ihould confirm the reft : "
But if a clam'rotis vile Plebeian rofe,
Him with Reproof he checkt, or tanVd with Blows ;
" Be ftill, thou Slave, and to thy Betters yield j
Unknown alike, in Council and in Field ! "
POPE.
Thefe Words, it was faid, he would explain
in fuch a Manner, as if the Poet hereby meant
to recommend Roughnefs, Severity, and
Stripes, as the only proper Arguments to be
made Ufe of againfb the Vulgar and the Indi-
gent. But SOCRATES was not abfurd enough
to draw fuch Conclufions ; for how then could
he have complained., if he himfelf had been
rudely treated ? But he afTerted ; and might
ftrengthen his Aflertion with thefe Lines from
HOMER ;.
SOCRATES. 45
HOMER , " That fuch as could neither coun-
fel nor execute-, equally unfit ^ whether for
the City, or the Camp , thefe and fuch as
thefe-, and more efpecially when infolent
and unruly, ought to be reduced to Reafon ;
without any Regard to the Extent of their
Poflefiions."
AND, it is certain, nothing more could be
intended; for, as tohimfelf, SOCRATES loved
the People : His Benevolence even extended
to all Mankind ; infomuch, that although he
was fought after by Foreigners as well as
Athenians, he took no Reward from any who
applied to him-, but freely imparted that Wif-
dom he was endued with. Yet, fo' did not
others. On the Contrary, many who were be-
come rich, by his Liberality > fold, at no mean
Price, but a fmall Part of that which had coft
them nothing : While, uninfluenced by his
Example , and bearing no Refemblance to
him, in Affection to the People, they refufed
to converfe with any who were not able to pay,
and, that largely for their !nftru6tion.
AND, indeed, by this Conduct; SOCRATES
had
46 MEMOIRS of
had rendered the City of Athens renowned
throughout all Greece \ fo that, if it was faid
of'LvcHAS, the Lacedemonian, " That he
was the Glory of Sparta," becaufe he enter-
tained, at his own Expence, the Strangers
who reforted thither at one of the Feafts made
in Honour of APOLLO, much rather might
be faid of SOCRATES, " That he was the Glory
of Athens," whofe whole Life was one con-
tinued Largefs ; and who, difpenfmg with a
liberal Hand, his ineflimable Treafure, fent
no one ever away from him, without making
him, if willing, a wifer, and a happier Man.
Wherefore, it ihouldfeem, that had SOCRATES
been treated by the Athenians according to
his Merit ; Public Honours would have been
decreed him much rather than a fhameful
Death. And, after all, For whom do the
Laws appoint this Punifhment ? Is it not for
the Thief?/ For the AlTaulter on the High-
way ? -For the Underminer of Walls, and the
Committer of Sacrilege ? But where, among
Mankind, fhall we find any one at fo great a
Diltance from any of thefe Crimes, as SO-
CRATES ? Who can accufe him of holding
Intelligence with the common Enemy ? of
fprcading
SOCRATES. 47
fpreading Sedition and Treafon throughout
the City ? or of having been the Caufe of any
one public Calamity whatfoever ? Where is
he, who, in private Life, can fay, " SOCRATES
hath defrauded me of my PofTeffions ; or hath
injured me in any Kind ? " Nay, when did
he incur, even the Sufpicion of any of thefe
Things ? And as to the Points whereof he
flood accufed , Could he be a Denier of thole
very Gods, whom in fo eminent a Manner he
worlhipped ? Could he be a Corrupter of
Youth whofe only Employment was to root
out of the Mind of Man every vicious Incli-
nation, and plant in their Stead a Love of that
Virtue which is fo amiable in itfelf ; and fo
becoming us as Men ; and which alone hath
the Power to make, whether Cities, or private
Families, flourilhing, and happy. jTfc, be-
ing fo : Who feeth not how much his Coun-
try flood indebted to SOCRATES ? and that
Honour s^ not Ignominy, mould have been his
Reward.
CHAP.
48 MEMOIRS of
CHAP. III.
NOW, as I am perfuaded, the Benefit
arifing to all thofe who accompanied
with SOCRATES, was not lefs owing to the ir-
refiftible Force of his Example, than to the
Excellency of his Difcourfes ; I will fet down
whatever occurs to my Memory, whether it
relates to his Words, or his Actions.
AND firft, with Refpect to Sacred Rites,
and Inftitutions. In thefe Things, it was ever
his Practice to approve himfelf a fine! Obfer-
ver of the Anfwer the Pythian Prieftefs gives
to all who enquire the proper Manner of facri-
ficing to the Gods \ or paying Honours (J)
to
(f) Thefe Honours confifted of Sacrifices, Libations,
and various other Rites and Ceremonies; and were per-
formed on the 9th and 3oth Days after Burial j and repeated
when any of their Friends arrived who had been abfent at the
Solemnity ; and upon all other Occafions which required
their furviving Relations to have the Deceafed in Memory.
On thefe Public Days, it was the Cuftom to call over the
,Names of their dead Relations, one by one, excepting ftrch
as died under Age ; or had forfeited their Title to this Ho-
nour by diflipating theirPaternal Inheritance, or otherCrimes-
POTT. Ant'iq.
SOCRATES. 49
to their deceafedAnceflors ; "Follow, faith the
God, the Cujlom of your Country : " and there-
fore SOCRATES, in all thofe Exercifes of his
Devotion and Piety, confined himfelf altoge-
ther, to what he faw pradifed by the Repub-
lic ; and, to his Friends, he conilantly advifed
the fame Thing , faying, it only favoured of
Vanity and Superflition in all thofe who did
otherwife.
WHEN he prayed; his Petition was only
tbis<> " That the Gods would give to him thofe
Things that were G-ood :" and this he did,
forafmuch as they alone knew, what was good
for Man. But he who fhould afk for Gold,
or Silver, or Increafe of Dominion , adted
not, in his Opinion, more wifely than one,
who fhould pray for the Opportunity to fight,
or game ; or any Thing of the like Nature ;
the Confequence whereof, being altogether
doubtful^ might turn, for ought he knew,
not a little to his Difad vantage. When he
iacrirlced, he feared not his Offering would
fail of Acceptance in that he was poor ;-*- but,
giving according to his Ability, he doubted
not, but in the Sight of the Gods, he equalled
G thofe
50 MEMOIRS of
thofe Men, whofe Gifts and Sacrifices over-
fpread the whole Altar. And indeed, he
made no Scruple to afTert, that it would not
be agreeable to the Nature of the Gods to re-
fpeft the coftly Offerings of the Rich and the
Great , whilft the poor Man's Gift was alto-
gether difregarded. For,, by this Means, it
might happen, nor yet unfrequently, that
the Sacrifice of the Wicked would find the
moft Acceptance : Which, if fo, he thought
Life itfelf would not be defirable to a reafona-
hle Creature : But SOCRATES, always rec-
koned upon it, as a moft indubitable Truth ,
That, the Service paid the Deity, by the pure
and pious Soul, was the moft grateful Sacri-
fice ; and therefore it was, he fo much ap-
proved that Precept of the Poet, which bids