1821.1 Remarks on Gibbon. 419 
the folly of the multitude might chuse 
to assume ; and they approached with 
the same inward contempt and the same 
external reverence, the altars of the 
Libyan, Olympian, or the Capitoline 
Jupiter/’ 
But who are those ancient sages to 
whom this pompous description is ap¬ 
plicable ? Anaxagoras alone.* main¬ 
tained in Greece the sublime doctrine 
of one God; but far from 44 resigning 
his actions to the commands of law 
and custom,” lie was expelled from 
Athens for non-compliance with the 
established worship. Democritus openly 
taught in that city the doctrine of the 
Atomic philosophy, and his scholar, 
Protagoras, commenced one of his trea¬ 
tises in the following manner. 44 Of the 
Gods I know nothing, neither that they 
are, nor that they are not, fq£ our un¬ 
derstandings are too much clouded, 
and the life of man is too short for the 
solution of so difficult a problem.” 
Diagoras was accused of atheism, and 
banished from Athens for impiety. 
If thes e were the philosophers to whom 
Mr. G. alludes, as 44 asserting the dig¬ 
nity of reason,” they certainly did not 
at the same time approach with reve¬ 
rence the altars of Jupiter. In Rome 
Seneca, as we are told by Tacitus, 
when expiring in the bath, made in¬ 
deed a libation to Jupiter Liberator. 
But how will Mr. G. reconcile this to 
44 the dignity of reason?” And even 
of the philosophic hero of Gibbon, the 
imperial apostate, that historian says, 
44 A devout and sincere attachment to 
the Gods of Athens and Rome, consti¬ 
tuted the ruling passion of Julian.” 
Vol. 4, p. 63. 
As, however, Mr. Gibbon has piu- 
dently avoided to name those sages for 
whom his panegyric is designed, the 
most unexceptionable test of its truth 
or falsehood, will be to examine how far 
the principles of Socrates, confessedly 
the most celebrated of the heathen ilia- 
minati for wisdom, and the only philo¬ 
sopher of antiquity who died a willing 
martyr to his creed, will answer to the 
standard of perfection thus set up. 
The prosecution of Socrates is upon 
good ground believed to have origi¬ 
nated more in political than religious 
motives, having by the freedom of his 
animadversions made himself obnox¬ 
ious to the ruling powers. The accu¬ 
sation preferred by Melitus, was indeed 
in part political; but the success of 
the prosecution mainly depended upon 
the allegation of his depreciating the 
Gods acknowledged by the state, and 
teaching novelties in religion. As So¬ 
crates refused any kind of concession, 
or apology, by which it is allowed that 
lie might easily have saved his life, the 
sincerity of his confession cannot be 
questioned. 44 Upon what foundation,” 
said he in his defence, 44 can it he al¬ 
leged that 1 do not acknowledge the 
Gods of the republic, who have been 
often seen to sacrifice at my own house, 
as well as in the temples ? Can it be 
doubted whether lie uses divination, 
to whom it is imputed as a crime, that 
he believes himself favoured with di¬ 
vine suggestions ?—Pass on me what 
sentence you please, I can neither re¬ 
pent or change my conduct.—At my 
age, and with the reputation, true or 
false, which I have acquired, would it 
be consistent in me, after all the les¬ 
sons I have given on the contempt of 
death, to he afraid of it myself? and to 
belie, in my last action, all the princi¬ 
ples and sentiments of my past life?” 
Far, however, from being disposed 
to renounce the radical dogmas of the 
popular creed, he declared 44 that he 
had never sacrificed to, or acknow¬ 
ledged, or sworn by, or even made 
mention of any other gods than Jupiter, 
Juno, and others, who were received 
by his fellow-citizens. Do not I be¬ 
lieve,” said lie, 44 that the sun and 
moon are gods ? Do we not suppose 
demons , i. e. setlierial spirits, to be the 
offspring of Gods?” He strongly ad¬ 
vised his friends to seek counsel of the 
gods, according to the antient and es¬ 
tablished modes, and by the medium 
of the inspired oracles of the country. 
He composed a hymn in the near pros¬ 
pect (if death, to Apollo and Diana. 
His last mysterious direction was to 
sacrifice a cock to Esculapius; and 
though believing in a supreme deity, 
he was far from affirming him to be the 
only god ; or indeed any other than the 
Olympian Jove, the absolute and un¬ 
disputed sovereign of gods and men. 
Among the numerous disciples of 
Socrates, the most distinguished names 
were those of Plato and Xenophon. Of 
Plato, it is indeed allowed 44 that he 
resigned Ms actions to the commands 
of law and custom.” But as the laws 
and customs of Athens were upon the 
whole extremely tolerant, we have a 
sufficient opportunity of judging how 
far the real sentiments of that great 
genius were consonant to 44 the dignity 
of reason,” and to what degree he was 
lost and bewildered in the wilds and. 
mazes 
