fi? 



On (he Poeltcal Oracles of the Greeks. [Oct. ! , 



p&ftticfil ufe of this popular fuper/lition 

 e.mui>l pollibly be doubted, or that the 

 ancient generals and i-uiere of Greece 

 oontinnally built upon them for the pur- 

 potes of infpiring their foidiers with 

 noblo arid generous fentiments, and ele- 

 rating thcnt wilh hopes of fuccefs, or 

 with the lefs worthy view of encouragiiii; 

 their fellow-citizens to aifift in their own 

 jiihiiie plans of aggrandizejneat, or to 

 anfwer the purpofes of faction. 



TLc-inillocles, was, of all men, bell cal- 

 culated to juake the weak Defies aiid re- 

 ceived opinions of his fcllovv-countrvmen 

 fubKTviciit to liieir interefts and lo his 

 owij fpcculations ; and there arc fnffici- 

 icnt reafons for fu[)pi>ling that the fortu- 

 nate fcviHit of the conflict at Salamis is to 

 l>e afcribcd hardly more to the cxcej- 

 Jence of his cf)iinfels, than to the avti- 

 liccs lie employed to work on l}ie ciedu- 

 lity of the Athenians. Titer famous 

 onifle of Bacis, which Herodotus pie- 

 feivcs with imfut'pecting credulity iis the 

 gciuiiue iiifpiration of heaven, was pro- 

 fiubly uolhiiifi; more than one of the'e 

 " mugvainiiit /nenjogne." It is ccrlaiiiiy 

 coneeivod in tcnns fulficientiy clear to 

 ctetite the molt undauiited atfuranco of 

 vict.MT, and futhcicntly elevated to ani- 

 iiiatc to tlie uoble'l exertions and 

 schievements. 



Cut wlien their fliips fliaU bridge the ftormy 



main 

 Fri;m er?;it Diana's venerahle fane 

 To vocky Cynofura's fea-beat coaft. 

 And, mad in hoie, they fee fair Athens loft; 

 Great Juftice ihall chailiie tlie dire offence 

 Of yon proud youth, the child cFInfjicnce, 

 1 ho', fierce in threats, he meditate the blow. 

 And vainly boall your nation's overthrow. 

 for arms iV.all clalli v.-ith arms, and Mars 



ftall r-ign 

 In bloody triumph o'er th' empurpled inain, 

 And then all feeing Jove, and Viif^ory, 

 Shiill bring to Greece the day of liberty. 



Themifincles bad indeed, before tlnf> 

 made ule of a ilmihir artiiice with equal 

 fjccefs, when he procured tliofe celebrat- 

 ed anf.veis of the oracle by which the 

 Atlieuiajis were induced to leave their 

 city to the Peifiaiis, a.;id trull to their 

 navV alone for defence. Herodotus very 

 finely and accurately defcribes their litu- 

 ation at that time, and how abfolutely 

 the prefervati^iu of Greece dcjxinded on 

 theiv contetlint; the empire of the fea 

 with the grc'^it kin?. TJiemiftocies alone, 

 pp.rceived tl:c iieceifuy of the ineal'ure ; 

 and it highly exalts our idea of the un- 

 rojTUTinn wifdom and taknts of that ex- 

 alte d iudividuui, wheuvvc reflect that the 



ofiiecl; in his view was to perfuade a 

 brave nation to give up every thing that 

 they poileifed without a ftru^gle to the 

 invaders, and trull themfelves. to an ele- 

 ment before untried, and of wiiicli their 

 enemies had been till then co^fidered as 

 the unrivalled poifefl'ors, for the fake of a 

 diftant profpeft of ambi^uou^ fccurity or 

 advantaije, of which he alone, of ail the 

 world, felt allured and confident. Tiiis, 

 however, was the talk he had to perform, 

 and the manner in which lie performed 

 it is no lefs admirable than the original 

 conception of it. T.he Athenians had 

 feiit to the oracle when their min.ds were 

 already defpcndiug with regard to the 

 ilate of then- aft'airs, and it is probable 

 that Ti;cmiftocles endeavoured rather to 

 incrcafe their apprehenfions, than to fub- 

 duc them, by his rcprefeutations of tlie 

 impending danjiei;. The anfwer Uicy re- 

 ceived (an anfwer which he had himfclf 

 inltruc'ted the Pythia to deliver,) was 

 conceived in terms by nb uicans calcu- 

 lated to elevate their ho])es. 



Unhappy wretches, why do ye delay ? 



Fly to the limits of the earth away ! 



Leave your dear ^Native Land's domeftie 



bow'rs, 

 And the bleft circle of her lofty tow'rs ! 

 Her finking head no longer firm remains. 

 And her weak liands dciert the ufelels reins. 

 Nothing is fafe, — Dcllruftion rules the day. 

 And Fire, and furious Mars, alTert their prey. 

 O'er wafted cliampains, in his Syrian car. 

 Drives the wild God, and pours the tide of 



war, 

 Lays your proud tow'rs in ruin o'er the 



plains, 

 And wraps in fire your confecrated fanes. 

 Lv'n now dread figns tlie holy temple fill, 

 .•\nil horrid portents mark the gatiiering ill. 

 The inmoft caverns fwcat and tremble round. 

 And floating gore diftains the (acred around. 

 Ouit, qui: the fane ! Revolve high Hcav'n's 



decree, 

 Ajid yet avert th' impending mifeiy 1 



From all this what was to lie collected 

 but the city was doomed inevitably to 

 deltruCtion ? Her riiampains i\cre to 

 be laid «;ille, — her towers to be laid 

 lov.-, — her temples to be wrapped in 

 flames ; — ftiil, the people, by didy redei!-;- 

 iug on the purpofe of the gods, darkly 

 fuL'-geftcd by the oracle, mii'ht avert the 

 nillcry that was to fall on them. Thei/ 

 migh.t, it the /imiisof the fvtih, yet lind 

 an afyluni and a refung-piacc. A fecoud 

 cmbaffv was fent to requeft an cxj'lana-- 

 tion, and a fccond oracle was I'eturned. 

 In vain the Guardian of your City tries 

 To bend th' immortal Ruler of the fliies. 



4 VaiQ 



