Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/131

 2E S C II 1 N K S. 95 Verfions being, according to Mr. Le Clerc, too remote 1 " P r * r ". from the original meaning, he undertook a new tranflation ' u- u u tin i -i Uul./hieh. which he publilned in 1711, 1 Octavo, With notes, and , veral difleitation?, intitled " Silva- 1'hilologic.L- ;" in me he uid chapter whereof he examines the doctrine ol yMlVhii.ei* iirft dialogue. In the Axiochus tin- re is an excellent p.ilf.i M,-. un- cerningihe immortality of the foul ; the fpeakcrs are Socrate , Clinias, and Axiochus. Clinins had brought Socrates to hia father Axiochus, who was lick, and a^prehenfive of death, in order to fupport him r.gainil the fears of it. Sncrates,/r.f ' .;*,. after a vaii-Jty of arguments, proceeds as follows : " For hu- I:) " ! - I!J - d * " man nature (fays he) could not have anivedat inch a pitch j * ^ pioocdit " in executing the greatelt affairs, fo as to defptfe even the). " ftrength of brute creatures, though fuperior to our own; 1 ?* 1 ' " contemplate the heavens, view the revolutions of the ftars, " thecourfesof the fun and moon, their rifing and fetting, " their eclipfes and immediate reiteration to their former flate, " the equinoxes and double returns of the fun, the winds and " defcents of {bowers; this, I fay, the foul could never do, c< unlefs poflefFed of a divine fpirit, whereby it gains the " lation, but of immortality ; nor will your deligh'.s be taken " from you, but you will enjoy them more perfectly ; nor will < be free from every kind of pain. When you are difengaged " from this priibn, you will be trarflated thither, where there " is no labour, nor forrow, nor old age. You will enjoy a tC ftate of tranquillity, and freedom from evil, a ftate per; " Socrates, to your opinion by your difrourfe ; I am nov no <c for it: my mind is tranlported into fublime thoughts, anJ " man." Philoftrates, in his epiftles to Julia Au-j.ulh, fays, that /Efchines wrote an oration concerning Thargclia, and that he imitated Gorgias in it. Menace tells us, that Athena-us mentions a dialogue of /F.fchines, which be entitled noAiJiJo^j jg but Mr. Lc Clerc could not find any fuch p.-llaae in Athc- nsus. p- yESCHINES, a celebrated orator, contemporary with De- mofthenes, and butjuft his inferiour. borne lay that Iforrate- r. I.
 * ' to pafs over feas, build cities, and found commonwealths ;
 * c knowledge of fo many great things. And therefore, Axio-
 * ' chus, you will not be changed to a ftate of death or annihi-
 * ' your plealures have any tinclure of this mortal body, but
 * ' tually ferere and eafy. "Axioch." You have drawn rr.eover,
 * ' longer fearful of death, but ambitious of it, und impatient
 * ' I run the eternal and divine circle. 1 have dif engaged my-
 * c felf from my former weaknefs, and am now become a new