Chap. IV. ANTIENT METAPHYSICS. 105 



As to the Greeks, they were not fo happy as to employ themfelves 

 fo much in agriculture as the Romans did. The Spartans cultivat- 

 ed all their lands by their flaves, the Helots ; and the whole occu- 

 pation of the men among them, that were not old, was the exerci- 

 fes of the palxRra, which were fo violent, and fo conftant, that 

 war, we are told, was reft to them. They, therefore, can hardly be 

 faid to have had any leifure. But the Athenians had leifure ; and 

 no people in the world ever employed it in fo elegant a manner. 

 They had their palseftras too, and were all in that way trained to arms. 

 But their pleafure was their Theatre, upon which were exhibited, 

 in the beft manner poffible, the three fineft of the fine arts. Poetry, 

 Mufic, and what they called o^x^r.a-Hy or Dancing; that is, the imitation 

 of manners, fentiments, pafFions, and adions, by the motion of the 

 body to mufic. This muft have been fo fme an entertainment, that 

 I do not wonder they beftowed a confiderable part of the revenue of 

 their flate upon it. They had alfo the pleafure of the other fine 

 arts, fuch as flatuary, painting, and architedure; and, befides all this, 

 they had the enjoyment of philofophy, which was more cultivated 

 in Athens than ever it was in any other part of the world, except 

 Egypt J and which I hold to be the highefl enjoyment that this earth 

 affords. With regard, therefore, to the enjoyment of leifure, I 

 think we may pronounce the Athenians among the happieft people 

 that ever exifted. 



Vol. IV. O CHAP. 



