Chap. TX. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. Ts^l 



■were Demagogues, who flattered them as much as ever King was 

 flattered by his courtiers, afking them frequently ivhat they ivoiild 

 have, and ivhnt they JlooJild do to pleafe them^, their affairs went 

 rnto the greatefl dilbrder, and ended at laft in the ruin of their 

 flate. 



One of the chief caufes of their ruin, was their feizing upon the 

 revenues of their ftate, which, we are told, was greater than all the 

 revenues of the other ftates of Greece put together. And this 

 money they laid out upon their living, and their pleafures, particu- 

 larly the pleafuie of their theatre : So that there was nothing left 

 for defraying the public fervice, except, fiiJI, the contributions of 

 the richer citizens, called 'ncrcpo^ai^ a very unequal and arbitary af- 

 fcfinent ; slxiA fecondly, what they called Xsircv^yiui, or public fer- 

 vices, which were alfo a burthen upon the richer fort, fuch as the 

 fitting out of flaps of war, which was a great part of the expence 

 of their ftate : And even the rich they made contribute to their 

 pleafures, by defraying the expence of the chorufes of their tragedy 

 and comedy, which contribution they called %'i^r,') io!..'\ . 



By thefe means, the Athenians led an eafy, indolent, and pleafure- 

 abie life ; fuch as made them very unfit for any great un'dertakings.- 

 But their vanity, flattered by their Demagogues, made them en- 

 gage in the moft dangerous enterprifes, by which they fuffered 

 greater calamities, in a fhorter time, than almoft any people we 

 read of. Of thefe Ifocrates, in his oration, i)<r P^rf, has given 

 a catalogue % beginning with the lofs of 300 gallies in Egypt 

 with all their crews, in a foolilh expedition they undertook to that 

 country, in order to fupport the rebellion of the Egyptians againft 



the 



• Vol. Vr. of Orig. of Ling. Bock 5. Chap. 2. p. ^66. 



I See this explained at more length in Vol. VI. of theOrij. of Lin^. p. 2.45, and' 

 fcHowing. 



X Page 460. sdii. Wolfii,. 



