advantage of his country, that he seemed the common father of the republic. But as it is so very difficult to correct the aged and to induce people to change long cherished principles, he devoted his labors principally to the instruction of youth. He had no open school, like the rest of the philosophers, nor set times for his lessons. He had no benches prepared; nor did he ever mount a professor's chair. He was the philosopher of all times and seasons. He taught in all places and upon all occasions-in walking, conversation at meals, in the army and in the midst of the camp, in the public assemblies of the senate and people. He disputed in a great measure by means of questions. In consequence of this, the interrogative method of disputing is still denominated Socratic. By means of his questions, he was wonderfully successful in confuting and confounding the sophists, in detecting their frauds and unmasking their characters.

Aristophanes, the comic poet, was engaged to expose him upon the stage. He composed a piece called the Clouds, in which he introduced the philosopher, suspended in a basket, uttering the most ridiculous absurdities. Socrates, who was present at this exhibition, showed not the least emotion, and as some strangers were present, who desired to know the original, for whom the play was intended, he rose from his seat, and showed himself during the whole representation. This was the first blow struck at him; and it was not till twenty years after, that Melitus appeared in a formal manner as his accuser, and entered a regular process against him. His accusation consisted of two heads. The first was, that he did not admit the gods, acknowledged by the republic, and introduced new divinities; the second, that he corrupted the youth of Athens. Melitus concluded with inferring, that sentence of death ought to be passed against Socrates. How much truth was contained in the first part of the charge, it is not easy to determine; but it is certain, that amidst so much zeal and superstition as then reigned in Athens, he never durst openly oppose the received religion. But it is very probable, from the discourses he frequently held with his friends, that in his heart, he despised and derided their monstrous opinions and ridiculous mysteries, as having no other foundation, than the fables of the poets; and that he had attained to the notion of the one only true God.

The friends of Socrates too plainly perceived the danger, which threatened him, and earnestly desired to exert their influence and talents on his behalf. The eloquent Lysias, especially, who had been one of his disciples, and was affectionately attached to him, earnestly entreated permission to deliver a pathetic oration he had prepared for the occasion; but Socrates, while he admired the composition, as a display of talent, peremptorily refused the request, because its tone was too supplicatory for a character unjustly accused. He was at length prevailed upon to undertake his own defence, not so much with the hope of protracting his life, as in compliance with the pressing solicitations of his friends. During his trial he employed neither artifice, nor eloquence. He had no recourse to solicitation or entreaty. But his discourse was bold, manly, generous, without passion, without emotion, full of the noble liberty of the philosopher, with no other ornament than that of truth, and brightened universally with the character and language of innocence. "My whole employment," said he, "is to persuade the young and old against too much love for the body, for riches and all other precarious things; and against too little regard for the soul, which ought to be the object of their affection. Pass on me what sentence you please, Athenians; but I can neither repent, nor change my conduct. I must not abandon nor suspend a function, which God himself has imposed on me. He has charged me with the care of instructing my fellow-citizens. Should you resolve to acquit me, I should not hesitate, for the future, to make answer, Athenians, I honor and love you. But I shall choose to obey God rather than you; and to my latest breath, shall never renounce my philosophy, nor cease to exhort and reprove you, according to my custom, by telling each of you, when you come in my way, 'My good friend, and citizen of the most famous city in the world, for wisdom and valor, are you not ashamed to have no other thoughts, than of amassing wealth, and of acquiring glory, credit and dignities, while you neglect the treasures of prudence, truth and wisdom, and take no pains in rendering your soul as good and as perfect, as it is capable of being?'' After some further observations, he remarks, "For the rest, Athenians, if in my present extreme danger, I do not imitate the behavior of those, who upon less emergencies, have implored and supplicated their judges with tears, and have brought forth their children, relations and friends into court,

it is not through pride and obstinacy, nor any contempt for you, but solely for your honor, and for that of the whole city. You should know, that there are among our citizens, those, who do not regard death as an evil, and who give that name only to injustice and infamy."

Socrates pronounced this discourse, with a firm and intrepid tone. His air, his action, his visage, expressed nothing of the accused. His steady, uninterrupted course of obstinate virtue, which had made him, in many cases, appear singular, and oppose whatever he thought illegal or unjust, without any regard to times or persons, had procured him a great deal of envy and ill will; so that, however slight the proofs against him, the faction was powerful enough to find him guilty. He was condemned to drink the juice of hemlock.

Socrates received his sentence with the utmost composure. Apollodorus, one of his disciples, launching out into bitter invectives and lamentations, that his master should die innocent; "What," replied Socrates, with a smile, "would you have me die guilty? Melitus and Anytus may kill, but they cannot hurt me."

The execution of the sentence was delayed thirty days, on account of a law, which prohibited the putting to death of any criminal, during the absence of the priest of Apollo, who annually sailed to the isle of Delos, to offer sacrifices. During this interval, the prison was continually thronged with his affectionate disciples, who came to administer to his comfort, and receive his last instructions.

The day before his execution, Crito, his intimate friend, came to him early in the morning, to let him know, that it depended only upon himself to quit the prison; that the jailor was gained; that he would find the doors open, and offered him a safe retreat in Thessaly. Socrates laughed at his proposal, and asked him, whether he knew any place out of Attica, where people did not die; Crito urged the thing very seriously, adding argument upon argument, to induce his escape. Socrates expressed his gratitude, but rejected his offer; because he considered it unjust to escape from the laws.

The day of his death was employed in conversing with his friends respecting the immortality of the soul, which he endeavored to prove. At sunset, the cup of poison was brought by a servant of the magistrates, who was so much affected, that he turned his back, and fell a weeping. So