he defeated the army of the confederates, in the year before Chrift 338.

On the day of this engagement, and the deftruction of that republican independence, which the internal vices of the Greeks, and the arms and intrigues of Philip, had been gradually undermining for twenty-two years, both armies formed in battle array, before the rifing of the fun.. The right wing of the Macedonians was headed by Philip, who judged proper to oppofe in perfon the dangerous fury of the Athenians. His fon. Alexander, only nineteen years of age, but furrounded by experienced officers, commanded the left wing, which faced the Sacred Band of the Thebans. The auxiliaries of either army were pofted in the centre. In the beginning of the action, the Athenians charged with impetuofity,. and repelled the oppofing divifions of the enemy; but the youthful ardour of Alexander obliged the Thebans to retire, the Sacred Band being cut down to a man. The activity of the young prince completed their diforder, and purfued the multitude with his Theffalian cavalry.

Meantime the Athenian generals, too much elated by their first advantage, loft the opportunity to improve it; for, having repelled the entire and right wing of the Macedonians, except the phalanx, which was compofed of chofen, men, and immediately commanded by the king, they, inftead of attempting to break this formidable body, by attacking it in flank, preffed forward against the fugitives, the infolent Lyficles exclaiming in vain triumph, "Purfue, my brave countrymen!

let us drive the cowards to Macedon." Philip obferved this rafh folly with contempt, and faying to thofe around him, ་་ our enemies know not how to conquer," commanded his phalanx, by a rapid evolution, to gain an adjacent eminence, from which they poured down, firm and collected,, on the advancing Athenians, whofe confidence of success had rendered them totally infenfible to danger. But the irresistible fhock of the Macedonian fpear converted their fury into defpair. Above a thoufand fell, two thousand were taken prifoners; the reft efcaped by a precipitate and fhameful flight. Of the Thebans more were killed than taken. Few of the confederates perifhed, as they had little hare in the action, and as Philip, perceiving his victory to be complete, gave orders to spare the vanquifhed, with a clemency unusual in that age, and not lefs honourable to his understanding than his heart; fince his humanity thus fubdued the minds, and gained the affections,. of his conquered enemies.

Accord

According to the Grecian cuftom, the battle was followed by an entertainment, at which the king, prefiding in perfon, received the congratulation of his friends, and the humble fupplications of the Athenian deputies, who craved the bodies. of their flain. Their requeft, which ferved as an acknowledgement to their defeat, was readily granted; but before they availed themfelves of the permiffion to carry off their dead, Philip, who with his natural intemperance had protracted the entertainment till morning, iffued forth with his licentious companions to vifit the field of battle. Their heads were crowned with feftive garlands. Their minds were intoxicated with the infolence of wine and victory. The fight of the flaughtered Thebans, however, which firft prefented itself to their eyes, and particularly the Sacred Band of friends, who lay covered with honourable wounds, on the spot where they had been drawn up to fight, brought back these infolent fpectators to the fentiments of reafon and humanity. Philip beheld the awful scene with a mixture of admiration and pity.

CHAP. XVIII.

On the Rife of the Macedonian Empire, and the Caufes of the Decline of the Grecian States. Death and Character of Philip.

TH

HE vifible decline of Athens and Sparta had fuggefted views of ambition, and plans of conqueft to feveral of the Greek ftates. Thebes had the afcendant for a while; but her period, though brilliant, was fhort. Jafon, and Alexander of Pheræ, purfued the fame fchemes of aggrandifement without fuccefs. Philip of Macedon, a companion of Epaminondas, and a witnefs to the growing power of Thebes, as well as to the glory of her hero, entered deeply into the fame views. He joined profound policy to vaft ambition, and laid the foundation of an empire, which, extending from Europe to Afia, gave a new form both to the Eaftern and Western world.

The divided interefts and declining state of the Grecian republics favoured the rife of a new power. The Perfian Emperor, who had been accustomed for fome time to hold the balance between the ftates of Greece, was now entirely occupied

H 2

occupied with the affairs of Egypt. Thefe circumftances prepared the way for the greatnefs of Philip, and the Macedonian empire.

At this period, the Athenian character can hardly be recognized, at Athens. Effeminacy and voluptuoufnefs fubdued the love of liberty. Magiftracies and public employments. became the reward of intrigues and bribery. The virtuous citizen withdrew from the fcene of corruption, and took to a' country life.

The private life of the Athenians correfponded to their public character. The youth were early initiated into a life of diffipation and debauchery; and entered into what is called the world, totally ignorant, and greatly corrupted. Their idlenefs and prodigality plunged them into the ruinous vice of gaming. The gratification of the palate became the ferious ftudy, and exercifed the genius of the Athenians. They had lately beftowed the freedom of their city (an honour, in former times, feldom conferred on kings and princes) on two men, whofe fole merit was, that their father had been eminent in the art of cookery, and was famous for having invented new fauces.

Sparta had received a deadly wound by the fucceffes of Epaminondas. Not only had her citizens decreased in number; their ancient virtue was gone. Lyfander had brought home the gold of the eaft; Antalcidas, their ambaffador to Perfia, on the late peace, had, in a mimic dance, ridiculed the heroifm of Leonidas. Muft all nations, on the eve of their downfal, refemble one another?

At this favourable juncture, Philip of Macedon appeared, to erect a new empire on the ruin of the Grecian republics. The battle of Charonca decided the caufe of liberty, and of Greece.

Improving his fuccefs, Philip caufed himself to be proclaimed commander in chief of all the Grecian forces; and, roufing their ancient hatred against the Perfians, prepared for an expedition into Afia. But, while he was folemnizing the marriage of his daughter Olympias, to Alexander king of Epirus, a dagger was plunged into his bofom.

Amidit the tumultuous amufements of the feftivity, Philip often appeared in public with unguarded confidence in the fidelity and attachment of all his fubjects. But proceeding one day from the palace to the theatre, he was stabbed to the heart by Paufanius, a Macedonian. Whether the aflaflin was ftimu

lated merely by private refentment, or prompted by the illappeafed rage of Olympias, or inftigated to commit this atrocity by the Perfian fatraps, is uncertain. The laft conjecture is, perhaps, the most probable; because Alexander alledged the affaffination of his father among his reafons for invading the Perfian empire *.

Thus fell Philip of Macedon, in the forty-feventh year of his age and twenty-fourth of his reign; the firft prince whofe life and actions hiftory hath defcribed with fuch regular accuracy, and circumftantial fulness, as render his adminiftration a matter of inftruction to fucceeding ages. With a reach of forefight and fagacity peculiar to himfelf, he united all the prominent features of the Grecian character, valour, eloquence, addrefs, flexibility to vary his conduct, without changing his purpose, the most extraordinary powers of application and perfeverance, of cool combination and ardent execution. Intercepted in the middle of his career by the hand of an affaffin, he was prevented from undertaking the jufteft and nobleft defign of his reign; a defign which he had long meditated, and in which his near profpect of fuccefs promised to reward the labours and dangers of his toilfome life. Had not his days been thortened by a premature death, there is good reafon to believe, that he might have fubdued the Perfian empire; an enterprize more dazzling, but lefs difficult, than the exploits which he had already atchieved. Had that event taken place, the arduous undertakings of his long and fuccefsful reign would have been ennobled and illuminated by the fplendour of extenfive foreign conqueft. Philip would have reached the height of fuch renown, as is obtained by the habits of activity, vigilance, and fortitude in the purfuit of unbounded greatnefs; and, in the opinion of pofterity, would perhaps have furpaffed the glory of all kings and con querors, who either preceded or followed him. Yet, even on this fuppofition, there is not any man of fenfe and probity, who, if he allows himself time for ferious reflection, would purchase the imagined grandeur and profperity of the king of Macedon, at the price of his artifices and crimes; and to a philofopher, who confidered either the means by which he obtained his triumphs, or the probable confequences of his dominion over Greece, and Afia, the bufy ambition of this mighty conqueror would appear but a deceitful fcene of fplendid mifery.

CHAP. XIX.

Alexander's Acceffion to the Throne of Macedon-His vifit to Diogenes-His wonderful Atchievements-His Death and

Character.

Prince who is his own minifter, and almoft the fole de

A politary of his own fecrets, commonly leaves an arduous

talk for the labours of his fucceffor. This difficulty prefented itself to Alexander, who afcended the throne of Macedon, the twentieth year of his age. Having in a fhort time, however, crushed his enemies at home, he haftened into Greece to reap the fruits of his father's labours, which might be loft by delay.

In his journey thither, he experienced the perfidious inconftancy of the Theffalians, whom he chaftifed with proper feverity; and having affembled the deputies of the ftates at Corinth, he was invefted with the fame honours which had been conferred on his predeceffor. During his refidence in that city there happened an incident which more clearly dif plays the character of Alexander, than can be done by the moft elaborate defcription. Curiofity led him to vifit Diogenes, the cynic, whom he found bafking in the fun; and having made himself known, as the mafter of Macedon and Greece, afked the philofopher what he could do to oblige him? Stand from between me and the fun," was the answer of the cynic: upon which the king obferved to his attendants, "that he would choose to be Diogenes, if he "were not Alexander." The obfervation was natural and fublime; fince, under the moft diffimilar veils of external circumstances and purfuits, their characters concealed a real refemblance. Both poffeffed that proud erect spirit which difdains authority, fpurns controul, and afpires to domineer over fortune. But, by diminishing the number of his wants, Diogenes found, in his tub, that independence of mind, which Alexander, by the unbounded gratification of his defires, could not attain on the imperial throne of Perfia.

On the death of Philip, all the ftates which had been fubdued by his arms, declared themfelves free and independent. Demofthenes flew into the public affembly, and exhorted his countrymen to unite their forces against an infant. His counsellors intreated the young king to employ methods of infinuation and addrefs, Confulting his own genius, he re

folved