The hystory writtone by Thucidides the Athenyan of the warre, whiche was betwene the Peloponesians and the Athenyans, translated oute of Frenche into the Englysh language by Thomas Nicolls citezeine and goldesmyth of London

¶The oration of Athenagoras to the Syracusains. ☞The .viii. Chapter.

WHosoeuer will saye: that the Athenyās be so farre out of their wyttes, as to come assault vs, or that if they do come they shall not falle into our handes, ••e is truly aither tomuche fearefull, orelles he vnderstan∣deth not welle the affayres of our comon welth. And also I meruayle not somuche of the temery••e of them, that sowe thies newes amongest vs for to make vs afrayde, as of their follye, except that they perswade themself not to be perceyued. But it is the facyon of them that haue particulerly any feare in them∣self, to go aboute to putt it into the comons heades, for to hyde and couer theirs vnder shadowe of the comynaltie. Herunto tende the newes and the bruyte that presently ronne abroade, the whiche be not come rashely: but haue bene malici∣ously sowedde by those, whiche be customers of the lyke thynges. But if youe be welle aduysed, ye wolle not make any foundation or coniecture vpon the speche of thies people here, but rather ye wylle make coniecture by the qualitie of those, of whome it is spoken, whider they be experymented and sage people, as I do e∣steme the Athen••ans to be. Wherfore knowing them to be such, I thynke yt not credyble, that being not yet delyueredde frome the warre of the Peloponesians, they should habādone their countrey: and come through gayneys & Lustynes of herte to begyn here newe warre, in nothing lesse than the other. But as touching my selfe, I am of opynyon that they owe to repute themselfe happye that we go not to assaulte theym in theyr countrey: so many•• and so puissante cyties beynge in this Islande. And admytt that they shall come, as it is reaportedde, yet they ought to thynke that Sycille is more suffycient ••or to beate and destroye them, than the Peloponesians be, forsomuche as they be better prouided of al thinges. And speciallye oure cytie alone ys more puyssante, than all the armye whiche ys reaported to come agaynste vs: yea truly two tymes asmuche, consideredde that they may not brynge hyther any horsemen, and also I beleue that they shall gett none in thies parties, if it be not a certaine smalle nomber: that the Egestayns may delyuer them. And of fotemen they cannot also be in so great nomber as we haue of theym, sithens that they must transporte theyme by sea. For it is ryghte harde and dyfficille that so greate nomber of shyppes, as be necessary for to carye victualles and other necessities for so greate an armye, as is requyred for theym that woll to subdewe and and ouercome, one so puissant a cytie, as ours is, may comme hider in suertie. And I fynde the thynge so farre vnlyke the trouthe, that albeit the Athenyans hadde an Colonie peopled wyth their people, euen so great as this cytie is, in whatsoeuer place here adioigning, and that fromethence they would come to assault vs: yet skarcely they should retourne fromehence without shame and damage. Wherfore with much greater reason it ought to be hoped, cō∣myng from so farre agaynst all Sycille, the whiche I take for hole certayne, that it wolle declare it selfe intierly their ennemye. For they shalbe constraynedde to kepe themselfe in their campe in whatsoeuer parte where they shall lande at the∣aryualle

oute of the sea, vnder suche suertie of their shyppes whyche they wolle haue at their b••ckes, without to be so bolde as to enter further into the coūtrey: for feare of our horsemen, wherof we haue greate nomber, in suche manner that with payne they shall abyde on lande, somuche do I esteme our men better than thiers. The Athenyans vnderstandyng the whiche thinges, studye for to defende and kepe their la••de, as I am certainly aduised•• without thinking to come for to wynne ours. But we haue some people in this cytie, that go reaportyng liberally thinges, whiche nother be in vre, nor neuer shalbe. And this is not the furst tyme that I haue attayncted thē of lyke cases. But many other times I haue founde theym to haue sowed suche newes and also woorse•• for to putt the meane people (who of their nature be light of biliefe) in feare, to the ende to take and vsurpe by that meane and vnder the same coulour, the empire frome the cytie. And I feare greately least they wylle so ostene make suche inuentions, vntyll the matter by some meane shall come to their intente, and that we shall shewe ourselfe so nyce and so slouthfull, that they shall be trappe vs bifore that we may remedy it, and that we haue not the herte to chastise theyme, thoughe that we knowe their e∣uylle wylle. Forsomuche as I parceyue that by suche occasions oure cytie is of∣tentymes troubledde wyth seditions and mutyneries, whereby ensuych Cyuill battailles, by whyche it hathe bene more often troubledde, then by warre of e∣strangers, and also hathe bene some tyme subdewedde by certene tyrantes or e∣uylle rulers of thys selfe cytie, but yf ye wolle followe me, I wylle take payne to remedye it, in suche sorte that in oure tyme, we sha••le not nede to feare thys dan∣ger. And that aswelle by declarations whiche I wylle make vnto manye amon∣gest youe, as also by punysshynge of the seditious, that ymagyne suche thynges, and not those onely that shalbe conuictedde and attaynctedde thereupon (for it is right difficile for to fynde out suche thynges, but also those that at other tymes haue enterprysedde the lyke, althoughe that they haue not hadde power to exe∣cute theyme. For he, that wolle prepare to defende hymself agaynste hys enne∣mye, oughte not onely to haue regarde to that, whyche hys ennemye doeth: but rather to that, whiche maye be presumedde that he entendeth to doo in tyme co∣mynge. And yf he doo not so, he maye furste receyue damage thereby. And it see∣meth vnto me that thies people, that goo aboute to putt the generall estate and gouernemente of thys cytie into the hande of a smalle nomber of men: maye not welle be knowyn frome their euylle wylle: but by dooynge of three thynges, to wytte, by rebukynge and discouerynge in some parte their dedes, partlye in ke∣pynge theym frome executynge of theym, and partly by causynge their enterpry∣ses and wyttes to be vnderstande by coniectures and by reasones. And truely I haue oftentymes musedde wyth myselfe, what thynge it is, whyche youe the o∣ther yonge men do intende, to witt, whider y^t you nowe presently coueite to haue charges and Empires. For the same is not reasonable by oure lawes, the whiche haue bene made for to empesche and lette that youe maye not haue theyme, not for to doo youe wronge or shame, but onely for the ymbecillitie and weaknes of youre age, for ye maye obteigne theyme, whan youe shalbe of due age. Canne ye not endure to be in the selfe degree that the other cytizeins be in? And howe canne thys be reasonable, that people of one selfe cytye and of one selfe estate shoulde not enioy lyke honnours and prehemynēces? There ys peraduenture some one, that wylle saye: that the common estate canne nother welle nor egallye be coun∣sailledde, and that those, whyche be rychest and moste puissante, be alwayes most sufficiente for to gouerne the estate. To whome I furste answere, that the comon gouernement ys the gouernemente of all the cytie, where the gouernemente of

a small nomber ys but onely of one parte therof. Afterwardes I saye: that for to defende generally: the ryche mē be most mete, but to geue counsaile, those which haue best wyttes and that vnderstande most, be the best: and the comynaltie well assēbled, after that yt hath herde all the opynyons, doth therupon iudge muche better. And all thinges, that be deparred, beit particulerly or vniuersally•• be egal∣lye departed in the comon estate, where as, whan the smal nomber gouerneth, it departeth the dangers and the charges vnto manye: but of the proffyttes it ge∣ueth but a small parte vnto other, but taketh them holy to it selfe. And that is it, whiche those, that be this day the most ryche and most puissant in the cytie (speci∣allye the yonge people) do couey••t, whiche is a thing impossible in so great a citie. And they, who do desyre it, be aither out of their wyttes, if they vnderstande not that they desyre the destruction of the cytie: aith••r elles be of the most ignorante of all other Grekes, that I haue knowin. And if they do vnderstāde it, they be to∣muche vnreasonable for to desyre it. Therefore vnderstandynge yt aither by my speache or of yourselues, vouchsaulf to studye all for that, whiche apperteigneth to the comon welth of the cytie. And to consyder that they among you which be best and the most riche, haue more parte in the comon welth: than the remnante of the comynaltie. And that yf youe goo aboute to accepte the contrary: ye putt yourselfe in danger to be thereof vtterly depryuedde, wherefore ye ought to re∣iecte and caste oute thies bryngers of false newes, as people alreadye knowin for suche, and not to suffre them to prouffitt to any meanes, by their inuentions. For though the Athenyans shulde comme, yett ys this cytie puissante ynoughe for to repoulse theym. And there be officers sufficiente for to prouyde therefore. And yf the thynge be not trewe (as I do thynke) youre cytie for feare of suche conterfea∣ted newes, wille not purt it self in subiec••ion of people, that for the occasion herof, go about to be your Dukes & superyours: but rather vnderstandyng the trouth therby, shall iudge their wordes and enterpryses, equipollente or lyke in effecte to the dede. In suche manner that it shall not lose his lybertie for the bruyt, which nowe ronneth, but rather shall enforce it self to kepe it, for the good order that it shall geue in thynges to come. Thus did Athenagoras speake. And after hym o∣ther would haue spoken. But one of the pryncipall officers and rulers of the cytie woulde not suffer any parsone to speake, but he in briefe woordes concluded the matter, saying in this manner.

The conclusion of one of the officers of Sarragosse.

IT is nother wytt nor wysedome to vse suche pryckyng and oultra∣gious talke, the one agaynste the other, nother for them that speake it, not for those, whiche geue eares to heare it, but rather we shoulde haue more regarde to thies newes y^t be comon, to thende for to geue order aswelle generally: as particulerly for to resist those whiche come agaynste vs. And though happely it were not trewe, yet coulde it in nothing noy nor hurt the cytye to prepare it self with horses, with harnnes and with all other thinges that be requysitt for the warre. And for the rest, we other officers wolle vse dili∣gence to prouyde: and also vnderstande the enterpryses of the ennemyes. And further we wolle sende to the other cyties of Sycille and de∣uise in all other thynges as we shall thynke expediente for this case. And we haue alreadye prouyded therefore, and wolle aduertise you of that, whiche shall herafter come to our knolaige. Upon this conclusion, the counsaille departed.