That I have not, on this occasion, made use of a pomp of words, but the truth of facts, that height to which, by fuch a conduct, this ftate hath rofe, is an undeniable proof. For we are now the only people of the world who are found by experience to be greater than in report; the only people who, repelling the attacks of an invading enemy, exempts their defeat from the blufh of indignation, and to their tributaries yields no difcontent, as if fubject to men unworthy to command. That we deferve our power, we need no evidence to manifeft. We have great and fignal proofs of this, which entitle us to the admiration of the prefent and of future ages. We want no Homer to be the herald of our praise; no poet to deck off a history with the charms of verfe, where the opinion of exploits must fuffer by a strict relation. Every sea hath been opened by our fleets, and every land been penetrated by our armies, which have every where left behind them eternal monuments of our enmity and our friendship.

In the juft defence of fuch a ftate, thefe victims of their own valour, fcorning the ruin threatened to it, have valiantly fought, and bravely died. And every one of thofe who furvive is ready, I am perfuaded, to facrifice life in fuch a caufe. And for this reafon have . I enlarged fo much on national points, to give the cleareft proof, that in the prefent war, we have more at ftake than men whofe public advantages are not fo valuable; and to illuftrate by actual evidence, how great a commendation is due to them who are now my fubject, and the greateft part of which they have already received. For the encomiums with which I have celebrated the ftate, have been earned for it by the bravery of these, and of men like these. And fuch compliments might be thought too high and exaggerated, if paffed on any Grecians, but them alone. The fatal period, to which thefe gallant fouls are now reduced, is the fureft evidence of their merit-an evidence begun in their lives, and compleated in their deaths for it is a debt of juftice to pay fuperior ho

nours

nours to men, who have devoted their lives in fighting for their country, though inferior to others in every virtue but that of valour, Their laft fervice effaceth all former demerits-it extends to the public; their private demeanors reached only to a few. Yet, not one of these was at all induced to fhrink from danger through fondness of thofe delights which the peaceful affluent life beftows; not one was the lefs lavish of his life through that flattering hope attendant upon want, that poverty at length might be exchanged for affluence, One paffion there was in their minds much ftronger than thefe, the defire of vengeance on their enemies. Regarding this, as the most honourable prize of dangers, they boldly rushed towards the mark, to feek revenge, and then to fatisfy thofe fecondary paffions. The uncertain event they had already fecured in hope, what their eyes fhewed plainly must be done; they trufted their own valour to accomplish, thinking it more glorious to defend themfelves and die in the attempt, than to yield and live. From the reproach of cowardice indeed, they fled, but prefented their bodies to the fhock of battle; when infenfible of fear, but triumphing in hope, in the doubtful charge they inftantly dropt and thus difcharged the duty which brave men owe to their country.

As for you, who now furvive them, it is your bufinefs to pray for a better fate-but, to think it your duty alfo to preserve the same spirit and warmth of courage against your enemies; not judging of the expediency of this from a mere harangue-where any man indulging a flow of words may tell you, what you yourselves know as well as he, how many advantages there are in fighting valiantly against your enemiesbut rather, making the daily increafing grandeur of this community the object of your thoughts, and growing quite enamoured of it. And, when it really appears great to your apprehenfions, think again, that this grandeur was acquired by brave and valiant men ; by men who knew their duty, and in the moments of action were fenfible of fhame; who, whenever their

attempts

attempts were unfuccefsful, thought it dishonour their country fhould ftand in need of any thing their valour could do for it, and fo made it the mott glorious prefent. Beftowing thus their lives on the public, they have every one received a praise that will never decay, a fepulchre that will always bemoft illuftrious.-Not that in which their bones lie mouldering, but that in which their fame is preferved, to be on every occafion, when honour is the employ of either word or act, eternally remembred. This whole earth is the fepulchre of illuftrious men ; nor is it the infcription on the columns in their native foil alone that fhews their merit, but the memorial of them, better than all infcriptions, in every foreign nation, repofited more durably in univerfal remembrance than on their own tomb. From this very moment, emulating thefe noble patterns, placing your happiness in liberty, and liberty in valour, be prepared to encounter all the dangers of war. For, to be lavish of life is not fo noble in those whom misfortunes have reduced to mifery and defpair, as in men who hazard the lofs of a comfortable fubfiftence, and the enjoyment of all the bleffings this world affords, by an unfuccefsful enterprize. Adverfity after a feries of eafe and affluence, fiks deeper into the heart of a man of fpirit, than the ftroke of death infenfibly received in the vigour of life and public hope.

For this reafon, the parents of thofe who are now gone, whoever of them may be attending here, I do not bewail; I fhall rather comfort. It is well known to what unhappy accidents they were liable from the moment of their birth; and that happiness belongs to men who have reached the most glorious period of life, as these now have who are to you the fource of forrow; thefe, whofe life hath received its ample measure, happy in its continuance, and equally happy in its conclufion. I know it in truth a difficult talk, to fix comfort in thofe breafts, which will have frequent remembrance in feeing the happiness of others, of what they once themselves enjoyed. And forrow flows not from the abfence of thofe good things we have never yet expe

rienced,

rienced, but from the loss of those to which we have been accustomed. They, who are not yet by age exempted from iffue, fhould be comforted in the hope of having more. The children yet to be born will be a private benefit to fome, in caufing them to forget fuch as no longer are, and will be a double benefit to their country in preventing its defolation, and providing for its fecurity. For thofe perfons cannot in common justice be regarded as members of equal value to the public, who have no children to expose to danger for its fafety. But you, whofe age is already far advanced, compute the greater fhare of happiness your longer time hath afforded for fo much gain, perfuaded in yourselves the remainder will be but fhort, and enlighten that space by the glory gained by these. It is greatness of foul alone that never grows old; nor is it wealth that delights in the latter ftage of life, as fome give out, fo much as honour.

To you, the fons and brothers of the deceased, whatever number of you are here, a field of hardy contention is opened. For him, who no longer is, every one is ready to commend, fo that to whatever height you push your deferts, you will fcarce ever be thought to equal, but be fomewhat inferior to these. Envy will exert itself against a competitor whilft life remains; but when death ftops the competition, affection will applaud without restraint.

If after this it be expected from me to fay any thing to you, who are now reduced to a ftate of widowhood, about female virtue, I fhall exprefs it all in one short admonition ;-It is your greate ft glory not to be deficient in the virtue peculiar to your fex, and to give the men as little handle as poffible to talk of your behaviour; whether well or ill.

I have now discharged the province allotted me by the laws, and faid, what I thought moft pertinent to this affembly. Our departed friends have by facts been already honoured. Their children from this day till

they

they arrive at manhood, fhall be educated at the public expence of the state, which hath appointed fo beneficial a meed for thefe and all future relics of the public contefts. For wherever the greatest rewards are propofed for virtue, there the best of patriots are ever to be found.Now, let every one refpectively indulge the decent grief for his departed friends, and then retire.

T

The Character of MARIUS.

HE birth of Marius was obfcure, though fome call it equeftrian, and his education wholly in camps; where he learnt the first rudiments of war, under the greatest master of that age, the younger Scipio, who deftroyed Carthage; till by long fervice, diftinguifhed valour, and a peculiar hardinefs and patience of difcipline, he advanced himself gradually through all the fteps of military honour, with the reputation of a brave and complete foldier. The obfcurity of his extraction, which depreffed him with the nobility, made him the greater favourite of the people; who, on all occafions of danger, thought him the only man fit to be trufted with their lives and fortunes; or to have the command of a difficult and desperate war: and in truth, he twice delivered them from the moft defperate, with which they had ever been threatened by a foreign enemy. Scipio, from the obfervation of his martial talents, while he had yet but an inferior command in the army, gave a kind of prophetic teftimony of his future glory for being asked by fome of his officers, who were fupping with him at Numantia,

:

The law was, that they should be inftructed at the public expence, and when come to age prefented with a compleat suit of armour, and honoured with the first seats in all public places. ↑ Dr. Middleton's Life of Cicero, 4to. vol. i. p. 24—26.