Page:Plutarch's Lives (Clough, v.5, 1865).djvu/25

 DEMOSTHENES. 17 It was evident, even in time of peace, what course Demosthenes would steer in the commonwealth ; for whatever was done by the Macedonian, he criticized and found fault with, and upon all occasions was stirring up the people of Athens, and inflaming them against him. Therefore, in the court of Philip, no man was so much talked of, or of so great account as he ; and when he came thither, one of the ten ambassadors who were sent into Macedonia, though all had audience given them, yet his speech was answered with most care and exactness. But in other respects, Philip entertained him not so hon- orably as the rest, neither did he show him the same kindness and civility with which he applied himself to the party of iEschines and PhUocrates. So that, when the others commended Philip for his able speaking, his beautiful person, nay, and also for his good companion- ship in drinking, Demosthenes could not refrain from cavilling at these praises ; the first, he said, was a quality which might well enough become a rhetorician, the second a woman, and the last was only the property of a sponge ; no one of them was the proper commendation of a prince. But when things came at last to war, Philip on the one side being not able to Uve in peace, and the Athenians, on the other side, being stirred up by Demosthenes, the first action he put them upon was the reducing of Euboea, which, by the treachery of the tyrants, was brought under subjection to Philip. And on his proposition, the decree was voted, and they crossed over thither and chased the Macedonians out of the island. The next, was the relief of the Byzantines and Perinthians, whom the Macedo- nians at that time were attacking. He persuaded the people to lay aside their enmity against these cities, to forget the offences committed by them in the Confederate War, and to send them such succors as eventually saved VOL. V. 2