Page 98 [98]
OCR
38 A PANEGYRICK People are beſt gull’d and impoſed upon. F or farther, what City would ever ſubmit to the rigorous Laws of ‘Plato, to the fevere Injunétions of .4rz/fotle ? Or the more unpracticable Tenets of Socrates? No, thefe would have been too ftreight and gauling, there not being Allowance enough made for the Infirmitiesof the People. To pafs to another Head, what was. it made the Decéé foforward to offer themfelves up as a Sacrifice for an Atonement, to the Angry Gods, to refcue and ftipulate for their indebted Country ? Waar made Curtius; ona like Occafion defperately to throw away his Life, but only Fain-glory, that is condemn'd, and unanimoully voted for a main Branch of. Folly by, all Wife Men? What is more unreaſonable and foppifh, (ſay they) than for any Man, out of Ambition to fome Office, to bow, and ſcrape, and cringe to the gaping Rabble, to purchafe their, Favour by Bribes and Donatives, to have their Names cry’d up in the Strects, to be carry d about as it were for a fine Sight upon the Shoulders of the Crowd, to have their Æffigzes carved in Brafs, and put up in the Market-place for & Monument of their Popularity? Add to this the Affeftation of new Titles and Diftinélive Badges of Honour; nay, the very Deifying of fuch as were the moft Bloody Tyrants. Thefe are fo extreamly ridiculous, that there is need of more than one Democrztius to laugh at ‘em. And yet hence only have been occafion’d thofe Memorable Atchievements of Heroes, that have fo much employ’d the Pens f many Laborious Writers. Ir
