nearest Relations and beft Friends at a Distance, he retrieved their Confidence, and lived with them for ever after in a most comfortable Intimacy. This fudden and great Alteration fhews what Power good Inftructions can have to overcome an unhappy Tenper, and amend even inveterate Habits, provided they be not the immediate Refult of a wicked Heart. And yet how few do we fee of thefe Converfions There would probably be more of them, if all those who can have an Influence on other People's Minds would take the Trouble to watch for proper Opportunities, and improve them to the utmost of their Power.

'

He

Simonides contributed moft to the foftning of Hiero'sManners, and had also the beft Share in his Confidence and Generofity. He was an excellent Poet, as appears by feveral Fragments of his Works ftill extant. was born at Ceos one of the Iflands in the Egean Sea, and his poetic Works made him very famous throughout Greece. He was befides learned and very well qualified for State Bufinefs. By his Means Hiero was reconciled with Thero King of the Agrigentines, who had raised an Army to force the King of Syracufe to a Reparation of an Injustice he had done to his Brother Polyzetes. Simonides was very old when he came to the Court of King Hiero. He died one

Year

Year before the Age of 90, and much about the Year 461. before Jefus Chrift.

Cyrus's Expedition against Artaxerxes or the Retreat of the Ten Thousand, is too well known to require I fhould give any Account of it. Xenophon was the propereft Perfon to relate well the Circumstances of that famous Tranfaction, as he had been fo inftrumental, both in forming the Project, and in the Execution of it. He raised the Courage and Hopes of the Soldiers after the Confternation the Murder of their Generals had thrown them into; and in the Retreat he commanded the Rear. After this he followed Agefilaus into Afia, and was with him at the Battle of Coronea; from whence on Account of his being banished from Athens, for having espoused Cyrus's Party, he retired to Scyllonte, a City belonging to the Lacedæmonians. There he made Philosophy his fole Employment and Pleasure, and wrote feveral Treatifes on Morality and Politics, as alfo the History of his own Country. After Scyllonte was taken, and the Lacedæmonian Empire was overthrown by Epaminondas, he retired to Corinth, and died there at the Age of Fourfcore and ten. He was a great Philofopher, a great Captain, a great Historian; and what is far beyond all other Talents, an honestMan, L 3

The

The third Piece mentioned in the Title of this Work contains the most memorable Deeds and Sayings of Socrates. There is in his Difcourfes a great Variety, an almost inimitable Ingenuity, and a moft excellent Doctrine. In them Virtue and good Manners are every where painted in their true Colours. Here Socrates's great Soul appears in all its Beauty. His Maxims may be read with very great Advantage by People of all Ranks, of all Ages, and in all Circumstances; and his Speeches, to his Friends before he died, are much beyond whatever of that Kind the whole Pagan-Antiquity can produce.

At the Head of this Collection is to be feen Xenophon's Picture, and a Geographical Map for the Retreat of the Ten Thoufand Greeks.

ARTICLE

ARTICLE. XI.

The Effay on Ecclefiaftical History continued (a).

Of SIMON the MAGICIAN.

SIMON the Magician undoubtedly de

serves the first Rank among the Chriftian Heretics, not only because he lived at the Time of the Apostles; but also, and chiefly on Account of his having invented, or at leaft laid the Foundation for, all the Herefies which have made fince their Appearance into the World. There never was an Inheritance tranfmitted with fo much Care, nor fo conftantly, from Father to Son, as his Principles and Deeds were to all the Heretics mentioned in the History of the Church. Ifall Children were fo ready to imitate the bad Qualities of their Parents, good God, what would become of the Word! Accordingly he is called by Irenæus, (b) the Father of all the Heretics, the Source of all Herefes without Exception; by Eufebe, (c)

L 4

(a) See Vol. II. Part II. of this Journal. pag. 79. (b) Lib. III. pag. 198. Ed, Grab.

lib ii. c. 13.

the

(c) Euf. H.E.

the chief Captain or Patriarch of all Heretics; and in the Apoftolical Conftitutions (d), the Prince, Head, or Original of Herefies, and his promulgating them is there related in this Manner; "The Devil took Poffeffion "of one Simon, a Samaritan Magician, and "made him ferve to accomplish his destruct"ive Designs." A hopeful Beginning indeed, and which prepares the Way to a noble System of Theology, and a glorious Scene of Action.

To judge of his moral Qualifications by the Principles afcribed to him, he must have been exceffively modeft. He pretended to be GOD, the SUPREME GOD, the Father who is above all, and to have appeared as the Father among the Samaritans, as the Son among the Jews, and as the HolyGhoft among the other Nations. There is no reading this without Indignation, which falls not upon Simon, for were the Fact affirmed upon Oath by every one of the Fathers, I believe it would not be in the Power of any one Man of Senfe to believe it; but upon Irenæus (e), who must be confidered as the Inventor of the Story, because he is the first that relates it; and

upon

(a) Lib. vi. c. 7. Patr. Apoft. T. i. p. 337. vide Lib. v. c. 13. p. 317-vid. et Vincent Lirin. c. 30. The Interpolator of Ignatius's Epiftle, civilly calls him the First-born of the Devil. Patr. Apoft. T. i. § 11. p. 66. (e) Iren. Lib. i. c. 20. p. 94. Lib. II. c. 9. p. 129.