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424 424 DEMOSTHENES

next, that, at the expense of a little time, you may acquire a fuller insight into our whole polity for the future.

I conceived, then (I said), that those who were in so great a consternation at the idea of the Thebans be- ing friendly to Philip were unacquainted with the real state of affairs ; for I knew full well that, were this apprehension well founded, we should not now hear of him being in Elatea, but upon our own fron- tiers ; I knew for certain, however, that he was come to get matters in Thebes ready for him. But how the case stands, said I, hear now from me. All those Thebans whom he has been able either to bribe by gold or delude by craft, he has at his command ; but those who, from the first, have resisted him, and are now opposing him, he can in no way move. What, then, does he now meditate, and with what view has he seized on Elatea ? It is that» displaying his forces in our neighborhood, and marching up his troops, he may at once elevate and inspirit his friends, and strike terror into his adversaries, and that they, being over- awed, may be induced, or may be compelled, to make concessions which they now refuse. If then, I said, we are, in these circumstances, resolved to bear in mind whatever wrongs the Thebans may have done us aforetime, and to distrust them as taking part with our enemies, we shall in the first place be doing the very thing that Philip is praying for, and next, I fear me lest they who now are his adversaries may join him, and, all Philippizing after the same fashion, both Thebans and Philip may invade Attica. But if you will be advised by me, and consider well what I am about to state instead of quarrelling with it, then it may come to pass, I conceive, both that you should