reft of the temple was equal to the columns in magnifi. cence. b Hegefias of Magnefia, according to Plutarch, fays, "That it was no wonder the temple was burned, because Diana was that day employed at the delivery of Olympias, to facilitate the birth of Alexander." A reflection, says our author, fo very † cold, that it might have extinguished the fire. Cicero, who afcribes this faying to Timæus, declares it a very smart one, at which I am very much surprised. Poffibly the fondnefs he had for jokes, made him not very delicate in things of this kind." One Heroftratus had fired that temple on purpose. Being put to the torture, in order to force him to confefs his motive for committing fo infamous an action, le confeffed that it was the view of making himself known to pofterity, and to immortalife his name, by deftroying fo noble a ftructure. The ftates general of Afia imagined they should prevent the fuccefs of his view, by publifhing a decree, to prohibit the mention of his name. However, their prohibition only excited a greater curiofity; for fcarce one of the hiftorians of that age has omitted to mention fo monftrous an extravagance, and at the fame time have told us the name of the criminal. The paffion which prevailed moft in Alexander, even from his tender years, was ambition, and an ardent defire of glory; but not for every fpecies of glory. Philip, like a fophift, valued himself upon his eloquence and the beauty of his ftile; and had the vanity to have engraved on his coins the feveral victories he had won at the Olympick games in the chariot-race. But it was not to é Valer. Max. 1. viii. c. 14. this Plut. in Alex. p. 665. de Pluto in vit. Alex. p. 665-668. Ib. de Fortun. Alex. p. 342. *He was an historian, and lived in the time of Ptolemy, son of Lagus. +I do not know whether Plutarch's reflection be not still colder. Concinnè, ut multa, Timæus; qui, cum in biftoria dixiffet, qua noëte natur Alexander effet, eadem Diana Ejbifiæ templum deflagravisse, adjunxit; minime iffe mirandum, quòd Diana, cum in partu Olympiadis adeffe voluisset, abfuisser dome. De Nat. Deor. t. i. n. 69. this his fon afpired. His friends afking him one day, whether he would not be prefent at the games abovementioned, in order to difpute the prize beftowed on that occafion? for he was very fwift of foot. He anfwered, "That he would contend in them, provided kings were to be his antagonists." Every time news was brought him, that his father had taken fome city, or gained fome great battle, Alexander, fo far from fharing in the general joy, ufed to fay in a plaintive tone of voice, to the young perfons that were brought up with him," Friends, my father will poffefs himself of every thing, and leave nothing for us to do." One day fome ambaffadors from the king of Perfia being arrived at court during Philip's abfence, Alexander gave them. fo kind and fo polite a reception, and regaled them in fo noble and generous a manner, as charmed them all; but that which moft furprifed them was, the good fenfe and judgment he difcovered in the feveral converfations they had with him. He did not propofe to them any thing that was trifling; and like one of his age; fuch, for inflance, as inquiring about the fo-much boafted gardens fufpended in the air, the riches and magnificence of the palace, and court of the king of Perfia, which excited the admiration of the whole world; the famous golden plantane-tree; and that golden vine, the grapes of which were of emeralds, carbuncles, rubies, and all forts of precious ftones, under which the Perfian monarch was faid frequently to give audience: Alexander, I fay, afked them queftions of a quite different nature, inquiring which was the road to Upper Afia; the distance of the feveral places; in what the ftrength and power of the king of Perfia confifted'; in what part of the battle he fought; how he behaved towards his enemies; and in what manner he governed his fubjects. These ambaffadors admired him all the while; and perceiving even at that time how great he might one day become, they obferved, in a few words, B. 2 Athen. 1. xi, P. 739, the f the difference they found between Alexander and Artaxerxes, by faying one to another, "This young prince is great, and ours is rich." That man must be vaftly infignificant, who has no other merit than his Tiches! So ripe a judgment in this young prince, was owing as much to the good education which had been given Him, as to the happiness of his natural parts. Several preceptors were appointed to teach him all fuch arts and fciences as are worthy the heir to a great kingdom; and the chief of these was Leonidas, a perfon of the moft fevere morals, and a relation of the queen. Alexander himself tells us afterwards, that this Leonidas, in their journes together, ufed frequently to look into the trunks where his beds and clothes were laid, in order to see if Olympias his mother had not put fomething fuperfluous into them, which might adminifter to delicacy and luxury. But the greatest fervice Philip did his fon, was appointing Ariftotle his preceptor, the most famous and the most learned philofopher of his age, whom he entrufted with the whole care of his education. • One of the reasons which prompted Philip to choose him a mafter of fo confpicuous a reputation and merit was, as he himself tells us, that his fon might avoid committing a great many faults, of which he himself had been guilty. Philip was fenfible, how great a treasure he poffeffed in the perfon of Ariftotle; for which reafon he fettled a very confiderable ftipend upon him, and afterwards rewarded his pains and care in an infinitely more glorious manner; for having deftroyed and laid wafte the city of + Stagira, the native place of that philofopher, he rebuilt it, purely out of affection for him; re-inftated the inhabitants who had fled from it, or were made flaves; and gave them a fine park in the neighbourhood of Stagira, as a place for their ftudies and affemblies. Even f Artaxerxes Ochus. Plut. in Apophtheg. p. 178. Even in Plutarch's time, the ftone feats which Ariftotle had placed there were ftanding; as alfo fpacious viftoes, under which thofe who walked were fhaded from the fun-beams. Alexander likewife difcovered no lefs efteem for his. mafter, whom he believed himself bound to love as much as if he had been his father; declaring, "That he was indebted to the one for living, and to the other for living well." The progrefs of the pupil was equal to the care and abilities of the preceptor. He grew vaftly fond of philofophy; and learned the feveral parts of it, but, in a manner fuitable to his birth. Ariftotle endeavoured, to improve his judgment by laying down fure and certain rules, by which he might diftinguifh juft and folid reafoning from what is but fpecioully fo; and by ac customing him to feparate in difcourfe all fuch parts as only dazzle, from thofe which are truly folid, and fhould conftitute its whole value. He alfo exercised hin in metaphyfics, which may be of great benefit to a prince, provided he applies himfelf to them with moderation, as they explain to him the nature of the human' mind; how greatly it differs from matter; in what manner he perceives fpiritual things; how he is fenfible of the impreffion of thofe that furround him, and many other questions of the like import. The reader will naturally fuppofe, that he did not omit either the mathematics, which give the mind fo juft a turn of thinking; or the wonders of nature, the ftudy of which, befides a great many other advantages, fhows how very incapable the mind of man is to difcover the fecret principles of the things to which he is daily an eye-witnefs. But Alexander applied himfelf chiefly to morality, which is properly the fcience of kings, because it is the knowledge of mankind, and of all their duties. This he made his ferious and profound ftudy; and confidered it, even at that time, as the foundation of prudence and wife policy. How much muft fuch an education contribute to the * Ως δε εκείνον μεν ζω, δια τατον δε καλώς ζωνε good good conduct of a prince with regard to his own interefts and the government of his people? " The greatest master of rhetoric that antiquity could ever boast, and who has left fo excellent a treatife on that fubject, took care to make that fcience part of his pupil's education; and we find that Alexander, even in the midft of his conquefts, was often very urgent with Ariftotle to fend him à treatife on that fubje&t. To this we owe the work intitled Alexander's Rhetorick; in the beginning of which, Ariftotle proves to him the vast ad. vantages a prince may reap from eloquence, as it gives him the greatest afcendant over the minds of men, which he ought to acquire as well by his wifdom as authority. Some anfwers and letters of Alexander, which are ftill extant, fhow that he poffeffed, in its greateft perfection, that ftrong, that manly eloquence, which abounds with' fenfe and ideas; and which is fo entirely free from fuperfluous expreffions, that every fingle word has its meaning; which, properly fpeaking, is the eloquence of kings. His efteem, or rather his paffion for Homer, fhows, not only with what vigour and fuccefs he applied himfelf to polite literature, but the judicious ufe he made of it, and the folid advantages he propofed to himself from it. He was not prompted to perufe this poet merely out of curiofity, or to unbend his mind, or from a great fondness for poefy; but his view in ftudying this admirable writer was, in order to borrow fuch fentiments from him, as are worthy a great king, and conqueror ; courage, intrepidity, magnanimity, temperance, prudence; the art of commanding well in war and peace. And, indeed, the verfe which pleafed him moft in Homer t, was that where Agamemnon is reprefented as a good king, and a brave warrior. Ariftot. in Rhetor. ad Alex. p. 608, 609. Imperatoria brevitate. TACIT. Η Αμφότερον, Βασιλευς τ' αγαθός, κρατερός τ' αιχμέτης. After Iliad. 3. v. 172. |