10 THE WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS. 



wardly seeming fair pretexts, especially seeing there 

 is no umpire or moderator of matters concluded 

 upon, to whom a reason should be tendered. There 

 fore there is no true and proper thing made choice 

 of for the confirmation of faith, and -that no celes 

 tial power neither, but is indeed necessity (a great 

 god to great potentates) the peril also of state, and 

 the communication of profit. As for necessity, it is 

 elegantly represented by Styx, that fatal and irre 

 meable river ; and this godhead did Ipichrates, the 

 Athenian, call to the confirmation of a league, who, 

 because he alone is found to speak plainly that which 

 many hide covertly in their breasts, it. would not be 

 amiss to relate his words. He observing how the 

 Lacaedemonians had thought upon and propounded 

 divers cautions, sanctions, confirmations, and bonds, 

 pertaining to leagues, interposed thus : &quot; Unum 

 &quot; Lacedsemonii, nobis vobiscum vinculum, et securi- 

 &quot; tails ratio esse possit, si plane demonstretis, vos ea 

 &quot; nobis concessisse, et inter manus posuisse, ut vobis 

 &quot; facultas laedendi nos si maxime velletis minime 

 &quot; suppetere possit.&quot; There is one thing, oh Lacae 

 demonians ! that would link us unto you in the bond 

 of amity, and be the occasion of peace and security, 

 which is, if you would plainly demonstrate that you 

 have yielded up and put into our hands such things 

 as that, would you hurt us never so fain, you should 

 yet be disfurnished of means to do it. If, therefore, 

 the power of hurting be taken away, or if, by breach 

 of league, there follow the danger of the ruin or di 

 minution of the state or tribute, then indeed the 



