Spartans, expressed with the most admirable simplicity : "Go passenger, tell at Sparta that we died here, in obedience to her laws."

The famous action at Thermopylae contributed very highly to the subsequent advantages obtained by the Greeks, for the Persians astonished at so striking an instance of desperate valour, thence concluded, that it was hardly possible to subdue a nation of such undaunted resolution; and the Greeks likewise perceived from the same example, that valour and discipline are capable of vanquishing the greatest multitude, and that therefore it was possible to overcome the Persians.

Of Alexander the Great-Alexander was born at Pella, a town in Macedonia, in the year, before Christ 356. From his infancy, he, on several occasions gave proofs of an extraordinary loftiness of sentiment. Being asked one day by his friends, whe ther he would not choose to contend in the foot races at the Olympic games (for he was extremely swift of foot) he answered, that he would, "if kings were to be his competitors." On receiving the news of a city being taken, or a battle being won, by his father, so far from discovering any signs of joy, he used to appear melancholy and disconsolate. "My friends," he would say, "my father will accomplish every thing, and will leave nothing for me to do."

In every branch of learning, which it was thought necessary to teach him, he made astonishing progress. Philip gave him for preceptor the famous Aristotle. Alexander conceived as high an esteem for that illustrious philosopher as Philip entertained for him. He went farther, and even honoured him as father,

saying that his natural father had given him existence but that his second father had taught him to make the proper use of his existence. Under such a master the happy genius of Alexander made the most rapid progress, and soon embibed the principles of the whole circle of philosophy.

Plutarch tells us, that he loved to read and converse with men of learning, two adinirable sources of happiness to a prince, and not only capable of preserving him from numberless mifortunes, but of instructing him in the art of reigning.

On the fine arts, such as music, painting and sculpture, he bestowed but a cursory attention, sufficient to give him an idea of their value and their use; which, in such matters, is all that a prince ought to know. He was of an active impetuous disposi tion, and very tenacious of his opinion.

He very early became the most expert horseman in his father's court; and was the only person who dared to back the famous Bucephalus, a' very fine horse, sent as a present to Philip, but so fiiery and high mettled, that they despaird to be able to break him. It was on this occasion that Philip seeing Alexander returning from finishing the course, in which he had backed this ungovernable horse, cried out to him in a rapture, Seek, my son, another kingdom; Macedonia is not worthy to contain you." It said that this horse would afterwards suffer no person but Alexander to mount him; and that he leaned down on his knees to receive him on his back; that after being mortally wounded in the battle against Porus, he saved the life of Alexander, by carrying him through the crowd of enemies that surrounded

him, and then expired; that Alexander shed tears for his death, and in memory of him, built on the banks of the Hydaspis a city, which, after him, he called Bucephalia.

Alexander mounted the throne of Macedonia at the age twenty years, and in the same year that Darius Codomanus mounted that of Persia. After performing the ceremonies of his fathers's funeral, Alexander applied his attention to secure the conquests of Philip over the neighbouring nations, which at present were far from being in a settled condition. In Greece, particularly, though Philip had awed the states into subjection, by the terror of his arms, yet their minds were far from being reconciled to his authority. The question was, whether he should preserve those conquests by mildness and moderation, or by the force of arms. Alexander quickly formed his resolution, hearkening alone to the dictates of his courage.

Alexander defeats the Barbarians, and destroyed Thebrs-In order to quell the commotions that had already broke out among some of the barbarous nations, who had taken up arms, he hastily led his army towards the Danube, passed that river in the night, and defeated the Triballi in a great battle.

About the same time the states of Greece formed a confederacy against him; and a rumour having arisen that he was killed, the Thebans made an insurrection, and cut in pieces the Macedonian garrison, which held their city in subjection.

At Athens too Demosthenes put all in motion, alling Alexander (of whose real character he was

yet ignorant) a giddy young man; and he wrote lett ters to Attalus, one of Philip's generals in Asia Minor advising him to revolt. Alexander already suspicious of the fidelity of Attalus; although he had transmitted to him those treasonable letters of Demosthenes, thought it necessary to have him teken off.

After making the barbarians sensible of his merit, he resolved to proceed to Greece. "It is proper," said he, " to shew Demosthenes at the gates of Athens, that I am every way a man." He advanced therefore towards the pass of Ther mopyla, passed it without resistance, entered Beotia, required of the Thebans to deliver up to him Phoenix and Prothentus, the authors of their insurrection; and on their refusal to comply with his demand, immediately attacked them.

The Thebans fought with great bravery and obstinacy; but being much inferior to the Macedonians in point of numbers, were at last broken, and almost all cut off. More than six thousand men were killed on the spot. Thebes was taken, and treated with all the rigours of war.

Alexander personally incensed against the Thebans, for the extravagant joy they had testified at the news of his death, resolved to satisfy his vengeance by the utter destruction of their unhappy city. He sold more than thirty thousand of the inhabitants for slaves, and permitted none to enjoy their liberty except the priests, and the descendants of the celebrated poet Pindar.

The total ruin of Thebes, and the severity of Alexander to its misierable inhabitants, threw the

other states into the utmost consternation. Every thing gave way to him, and even the Athenians, with Demosthenes himself, implored the mercy of the conqueror by a solemn deputation.

Alexander, however, dispatched messengers to the Athenians, insisting on their delivering up to him ten of the orators, who had been chiefly in strumental in forming the late confederacy against him. The orator Demades, a particular favourite of Alexander, undertook to soften him. The Macedonian having already satisfisd his resentment by the ruin of the Thebans, and being unwilling, to be detained from the execution of the great design he was meditating, gave a favourable hearing to Demades, insisted on the banishment of Charidemus alone, frankly forgave the Athenians, and exhorted them to watch over the affairs of Greece during his absence.

Alexander causes himself to be declared Generalissimo of the Greeks against the Persians. Having in one campaign made himself master of all Greece, Alexander assembled the deputies of all the towns at Corinth, and procured himself to be solemnly elected commander in chief of the Greeks against the Persians.

So grand an undertaking, calculated to dethrone the sovereign of the east, and to produce the greatest revolution, as far as we know, that ever happened on our earth, required a conductor of the most extensive genius, intrepid, enterprising, incapable of being, stopped by any obstacle, and en dued with the greatest talents of every kind. Such a man was Alexander.

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