*Much about this time Antipater fell sick in Macedonia. The Athenians were greatly dissatisfied with the garrison he had left in their city, and had frequently pressed Phocion to go to the court of that prince, and solicit him to recal those troops; but he always declined that commission, either through a despair of not succeeding, or else because he was conscious that the fear of this garrison was the best expedient for keeping them within the bounds of their duty. Demades, who was not so difficult to be prevailed upon, undertook the commission with pleasure, and immediately set out with his son for Macedonia. But his arrival in that country could not have happened at a more fatal conjuncture for himself. Antipater, as I have already intimated, was seized with a severe illness, and his son Cassander, who was absolute mas ter of all affairs, had lately intercepted a letter which Demades had written to Antigonus in Asia, pressing him to come as soon as possible, and make himself master of Greece and Macedonia; "which," as he expressed himself, "were held together only by a thread, and even an old rotten thread," ridiculing Antipater by those expressions. As soon as Cassander saw them appear at court, he caused them both to be arrested; and he himself seizing the son first, stabbed him before the face of his father, and at so little distance from him, that he was covered with his blood. After which he reproached him with his perfidy and ingratitude, and when he had loaded him with insults, he also killed him with his own hands on the dead body of his son. It was impossible that such a barbarous proceeding should not be detested; but mankind are not much disposed to pity such a wretch as Demades, who had dictated the decree by which Demosthenes and Hyperides were condemned to die.

The indisposition of Antipater proved fatal to him, and his last attention was employed in filling up the two great stations which he enjoyed. His son Cassander was very desirous of them, and expected to have them conferred upon him; notwithstanding which, Antipater bestowed the regency of the kingdom, and the government of Macedonia, on Polys perchon, the most ancient of all the surviving captains of Alexander, and thought it sufficient to associate Cassander with him in those employments.

I am at a loss to determine, whether any instance of hu man conduct was ever greater, or more to be admired, than this which I have now related in few words; nothing certainly could be more extraordinary, and history affords us

Diod, 1. xviii. p. 625, 626. Flut. in Phoc. p. 755.

few instances of the same nature. It was necessary to appoint a governor over Macedonia, and a regent of the empire. Antipater, who knew the importance of those stations, was persuaded that his own glory and reputation, and, what was still more prevalent with him, the interest of the state, and the preservation of the Macedonian monarchy, obliged him to nominate a man of authority, and one respected for his age, experience, and past services. He had a son who was not void of merit; how rare and difficult, therefore, but at the same time how amiable and glorious was it to select on such an occasion, no man but the most deserving, and best qualified to serve the public effectually; to extinguish the voice of nature; turn a deaf ear to all her remonstrances, and not suffer the judgment to be seduced by the impressions of paternal affection; in a word, to continue so much master of one's penetration, as to render justice to the merit of a stranger, and openly prefer it to that of a son, and sacrifice all the interest of one's own family to the public welfare! History has transmitted to us an expression of the emperor Galba, which will do honour to his memory throughout all ages, "Augustus*," said he, "chose a successor out of his own family; and I one from the whole empire."

Cassander was extremely enraged at the affront, which, as he pretended, had been offered him by his choice; and thought in that respect, like the generality of men, who are apt to look upon the employments they possess as hereditary, and with this flattering persuasion, that the state is of no consequence in comparison with themselves: never examining what is requisite to the posts they enjoy, or whether they have competent abilities to sustain them, and considering only whether those posts are agreeable to their fortune. Cassander, not being able to digest his father's preferring a stranger before him, endeavoured to form a party against the new regent. He also secured to himself all the places he could in the government of that officer, as well in Greece as in Macedonia, and proposed nothing less than to divest him of the whole.

†To this effect, he endeavoured to engage Ptolemy and Antigonus in his party; and they readily espoused it with the same views, and from the same motives. It was equally their interest to destroy this new regent, as well as the regency itself, which always kept them in apprehensions, and reminded them of their state of dependency. They likewise imagined, that it secretly reproached them for

Augustus in domo successorem quæsivit; ego in republica. Tacit. hist. 1, i, 15. +Diod, p. 630.

aspiring at sovereignty, while it cherished the rights of the two pupils, and left the governors in a situation of uncertainty, in consequence of which they were perpetually in fear of being divested of their power. Both the one and the other believed it would be easy for them to succeed in their designs, if the Macedonians were once engaged at home in a civil war.

The death of Antipater had rendered Antigonus the most powerful of all the captains of Alexander. His authority was absolute in all the provinces of Asia Minor, in conjunction with the title of generalissimo, and an army of 70,000 men, and 30 clephants, which no power in the empire was, at that time, capable of resisting. It cannot, therefore, be thought surprising, that this superiority should inspire him with the design of engrossing the whole monarchy of the Macedonians; and, in order to succeed in that attempt, he began with making a reformation in all the governments of the provinces within his jurisdiction, displacing all those persons whom he suspected, and substituting his creatures in their room. In the conduct of this scheme, he removed Aridæus from the government of Lesser Phrygia and the Hellespont, and Clitus from that of Lydia.

*Polysperchon neglected nothing on his part, that was necessary to strengthen his interest; and thought it advisable to recal Olympias, who had retired into Epirus under the regency of Antipater, with the offer of sharing his authority with her. This princess dispatched a courier to Eumenes, to consult him on the proposal she had received; and he advised her to wait some time in order to see what turn affairs would take; adding, that if she determined to return to Macedonia, he would recommend it to her in particular, to forget all the injuries she thought she had received; that it also would be her interest to govern with moderation, and to make others sensible of her authority by benefactions, and not by severity. As to all other particulars, he promised an inviolable attachment to herself and the royal family. Olym➜ pias did not conform to these judicious counsels in any respect, but set out as soon as possible for Macedonia; where, upon her arrival, she consulted nothing but her passions, and her insatiable desire of dominion and revenge.

Polysperchon, who had many enemies upon his hands, endeavoured to secure Greece, of which he foresaw Cassander would attempt to make himself master. He also took measures with relation to other parts of the empire, as will appear by the sequel.

Diod. 1, xviii, p. 626, 634, Cor. Nep. in Eumen. c. 6.

*In order to engage the Greeks in his interest, he issued a decree, by which he recalled the exiles, and reinstated all the cities in their ancient privileges. He acquainted the Athenians in particular by letters, that the king had re-established their democracy and ancient form of government, by which the Athenians were admitted without distinction into public offices. This was a strain of policy cal culated to ensnare Phocion; for Polysperchon intending to make himself master of Athens, as was evident in a short time, he despaired of succeeding in that design, unless he could find some expedient to procure the banishment of Phocion, who had favoured and introduced oligarchy under Antipater; and he was therefore certain of accomplishing this scheme, as soon as those who had been excluded from the government should be reinstated in their ancient rights, Diod, p. 631,632.

END OF VOLUME FIFTÉ,

voted to deeds of charity and benevolence? To live in state and splendor— to fare sumptuously every day,' and to repose on beds of down, may exhibit attractives to charm the minds of the vain, the weak, and inconsiderate; but to the inhabitants of heaven, these things must appear as unim portant and frivolous, as does the vanity of the vainest things' to us.

Oh, these vain and flattering things! what supreme importance does it give thee, that a most unsightly and disgusting worm has spun for thee a splendid dress; or that the milliner has bespangled it with fanciful cenaments? For whom do these ornaments serve as a covering? for a 'poor worm,' for a wretched sinner! O let this consideration abase thy pride, and humble thy vanity! But should this consid ration be unavailable to this salutary purpose, reflect that the peacock shines and struts with a more splendid attire, and that the most ordinary flower of the field, is more beautifully decked than thou.

What is the dignity or distinction of your birth and education, if these adventitious circumstances are not accompanied with dignified and useful conduct? And of what avail are the highest distinctions of a worldly nature, unless they are improved to the glory of God, and in doing good? Vain and inflated mortal!-In an instant thou mayest be stripped of all which makes you vain. Thou must die-It may be very soon-at an hour unexpected and most solemn must be thy future reckoning. O be entreated to look but a little forward-to the moment, which will bury, with yourself, all which you now hold dear, and makes you vain-to the moment when the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the earth, as to its present form, and 'all that it inhabits, shall be dissolved, and leave no wreck behind'-when thou must stand before the supreme Majesty of heaven-when thy conduct will pass the most scrutinizing and impartial review, and when eternity-an eternity of unutterable woe, or of inconceivable joy will be thy retribution! Look forward to these unspeakably interesting and momentous events, and let every vain imagination die within thee, and every enterprise of pride be abandoned. Be humble, be watchful, be deligent- Prepare to meet thy God.'

The Author of our holy religion, the divine Saviour, was 'meek and lowly in heart.' Although he could have commanded kingdoms, he inhaited a cottage, and oft-times had not where to lay his head. Humility is he distinguished badge of his religion. It is a garment comely as it is uitable for frail, unworthy, and sinful beings. If his real disciples, we hall not cherish a spirit of vanity and pride; but cultivate a meek and umble spirit. And although distinguished by the highest honors and bounding wealth, we shall not proudly seek to exalt ourselves above the west of our fellow beings; but under a consciousness of human guilt we hall, with the publican, smite upon our breasts, and penitently say, 'God e merciful to us sinners.'

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IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL. How little do I prize this feeble, emaciated, sickly and almost worn-out ody? It is welcome to return home-to the dust, as it was; that my soul ay have the same privilege, in returning home-to him who gave it. weet and balmy sleep! In thee I lose the sense of bodily pain and sufferig. Surely some guardian angel watches my slumbers, and seizes the moent, when, abstracted, as it were, from the body and from the world and I its sorrows, to teach my immortal part the most sacred, sublime and au

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