monial of merit had he to present to the eye of Washington; he was known to be his political enemy; he was opposed by a favourite of the general's; and yet, with such fearful odds, he dared to stand candidate. What was the result? The enemy of Washington was appointed to the office, and his table companion was left destitute and dejected. A mutual friend, who interested himself in the affair, ventured to remonstrate with the president on the injustice of his appointment. "My friend," said he, "I receive with a cordial welcome; he is welcome to my house, and welcome to my heart; but, with all his good qualities, he is not a man of business. His opponent is, with all his political hostility to me, a man of business; my private feelings have nothing to do in this case. I am not George Washington, but President of the United States; as George Washington, I would do this man any kindness in my power; but as President of the United States, I can do nothing."

ARISTIDES.

When the government of Greece was trans ferred from the Spartans to the Athenians, it was deemed proper, under the new government, to lodge the common treasure in the island of Delos; to fix new regulations with regard to the public money; and to impose a tax on each city and state, exactly proportioned to its population and wealth. The great difficulty was to find a person of sufficient virtue and integrity to discharge faithfully, an employment so confidential, and the due administration of which, so nearly concerned the public welfare.

All the confederate states cast their eyes on Aristides, and they unanimously invested him with full power to levy a tax of his own fixing on each of them, such was their confidence in his wisdom and justice. The citizens had no cause to regret their choice, for he presided over the treasury with the fidelity and disinterestedness of a man who looks upon it as a capital crime to embezzle the smallest portion of another's possessions; whose care and zeal is like that of the father of a family in the management of his own estate; and with the caution and integrity of a man who cousiders the public money as sacred. In short, he succeeded in what is equally difficult and extraordinary, in acquiring the love of all, in an office, to escape odium in which, Seneca deems no slight eulogy.

While Aristides was treasurer-general of the republic, he felt himself under the necessity of exposing the peculations of some of his predecessors; and these afterwards, when his own account came to be passed, raised a faction against him, accused him of having embezzled the public treasure, and prevailed so far, as to have him condemned and fined. But the principal inhabitants, and the most virtuous part of the citizens, rising up against so unjust a sentence, not only the judgment was reversed, and the fine remitted, but he was elected treasurer again for the year ensuing. Aristides then seemed to repent of his former administration; and by showing himself more tractable and indulgent towards others, he found out the secret of pleasing all that plundered the commonwealth: for, as he neither reproved them, nor narrowly inspected

their accounts, all these plunderers, grown fat with spoil and rapine, now extolled Aristides to the skies.

The same persons who had before moved his degradation, now made interest with the people to have him continued a third year in the treasurership; but when the time of election came, and just as they were on the point of unanimously reelecting Aristides, he rose up, and thus warmly reproved the Athenians. "What!" said he, "when I managed your treasure with all the fidelity and diligence an honest man is capable of, I met with the most cruel treatment, and the most mortifying returns; and now that I have abandoned it to the mercy of these robbers of the republic, I am an admirable man, and the best of citizens! I cannot help declaring to you, that I am more ashamed of the honour you do me this day, than I was of the condemnation you passed against me, this time "twelve months; and with grief I find, that it is more glorious with us to be complaisant to knaves, than to save the treasures of the republic." By this declaration, he silenced the public plunderers, and gained the esteem of all good men.

The conduct of Aristides on particular and trying occasions, was consonant with his general character. After the famous battle of Marathon, he was the only general to take care of the spoil and the prisoners. Gold and silver were scattered about in abundance,

in the enemy's (the Persian) camp. All the tents, as well as galleys, that were taken, were full of rich clothes, and costly furniture, and treasure of all kinds to an imense value. Here Aristides had the finest

opportunity in the world to have enriched himself with almost an impossibility of being discovered. But he not only took nothing himself, but prevented, to the utmost of his power, every body else from meddling with the spoil.

The strongest proof, however, of the justice and integrity of Aristides, is, that notwithstanding he had possessed the highest employments in the republic, and had the absolute disposal of its treasures, yet he died so poor, as not to leave money enough to defray the expenses of his funeral.

PERICLES.

So great was the disinclination of the great Pericles to the receiving of gifts, so utter his contempt for riches, that though he was the means of raising Athens to be the richest and most flourishing of all the Grecian states; though his power had surpassed that of many tyrants and kings; though he had long disposed in the most absolute manner of the treasures of Greece, he did not add a single drachm to the estate which he inherited from his father. In this we may discern the source, the true cause of the supreme authority, with which he ruled that fickle republic. The submission yielded to him was the just and deserved fruit of his integrity and perfect disinterestedness.

Pure as was his conduct in this respect, however, it did not escape the envenomed shafts of faction. He was audaciously charged with embezzling the public money during his administration, and a decree

was procured, by which he was ordained to give in immediately his accounts. Although Pericles had no real cause to fear the strictest scrutiny into his conduct, he could not but be under some apprehensions for the decision of the people, when he reflected on their great levity and inconstancy. He prepared, however, to give obedience to the decree, and but for a hint given him by Alcibiades, then a very young man, would probably have subjected himself to the risk of a popular trial. Alcibiades, calling at his house one day, was told, that he could not be spoken with, because of some affairs of great consequence, in which he was then engaged. The young man inquiring what these mighty affairs might be, was answered, that Pericles was preparing to give in his accounts. Alcibiades smiling, remarked, that were he in Pericles's place, he would not give in any accounts. The observation being repeated to the statesman, it induced him to consider seriously, and at last to adopt, the policy thus incidentally suggested to him. In order, however, to divert the public attention from the subject, he resolved to oppose no longer, as he had done, the inclination which the people had expressed for the Peloponnesian war; but giving it every possible encouragement, turned their thoughts into a new channel, and made them forget the call they had made upon him, on a suspicion, the injustice of which was ere long abundantly manifest.

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