eth the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that doeth these things shall never be moved."

Illustrations.

Hercules was a man of great courage who killed many wild beasts that ravaged Greece. It is affirmed that his whole history is a fable. Whether Hercules ever existed or not, he is often represented in painting and sculpture as a stout man dressed in a lion's skin, and holding a club. The Greek poets have made his whole history very interesting. Those who know nothing about Hercules can inform themselves concerning him by looking at Smith's Classical Dictionary.

2. Justice. Justice in our common use of the word only means what is sometimes called honesty. For a man to pay his debts, to speak the truth and nothing but the truth, of his neighbour, is justice. These are right applications of the word, but not in the full sense which the Scriptures, or other works translated from ancient authors express.

"The spirits of the Just made perfect," is an expression taken from the Bible. The just men of the ancients, were eminently and universally good in all their conduct. Justice is exalted virtue.

3. Retributive justice means a law of Divine Providence which makes misery, sooner or later, a consequence of wicked actions; and happiness the final reward of good conduct. In the verses taken from Potter's Eschylus, which you have just read, justice is personified, and represented as bestowing her rewards upon men who govern their conduct by the laws of the Divinity. She is retributive justice, for she looks on the "time to come," or the consequences of actions, and assigns" to "each deed its righteous doom;" that is, punishes bad actions, and rewards good ones.

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ELIS,

Was on the west of Arcadia, and for ages was distinguished for the tranquillity enjoyed by its inhabitants. Elis was the most populous and best peopled district of Greece; agriculture flourished throughout the country, and magistrates were established in different parts, so that the people were not obliged to waste their time and money in cities in order to settle their disputes. Elis, the chief city, held all the country in subjection to her laws and law-givers; but hers was a peaceful supremacy, and for a long time discord was unknown among the tribes and cities which constituted this little state. The Olympic games were celebrated in Elis.

Corinth lay on the isthmus, between the Corinthian and Saronic Gulfs, and was renowned for its trade and its opulence. It was embellished by beautiful buildings, and by the works of great masters in the arts.

2. The ports of Corinth, Lechæum on the Corinthian, and Cenchræ on the Saronic Gulf, received the ships of all the countries, east and west of Corinth. Corinth possessed many merchant ships of her own, and ships of war to defend the navigation. The extent of her commerce is described thus in the Travels of Anacharsis.

3. "We saw the shore covered with reams of paper (made of papyrus) and sail-cloth from Egypt, ivory from Lybia, the leather of Cyrene,

incense from Syria, Phoenician dates, Carthaginian carpets, corn and cheese from Syracuse, pears and apples from Euboea, and Phrygian and Thessalian slaves; not to mention a multitude of other articles which arrive daily in the ports of Corinth."

4 The Corinthians excelled in many manufactures, useful and ornamental, particularly of pottery ware and brass. The most inferior substance became valuable from the beauty of the work bestowed upon it, so that the brass vessels of Corinth, and the vases of clay, were more esteemed for their embellishments than those of marble or silver, unadorned.

5. Corinth possessed an independent govern.. ment, and sent many colonies to different countries. "Syracuse, the ornament of Sicily, and Corcyra (now Corfu) some time sovereign of the seas, owed their origin to Corinth," that is Corinthian emigrants began to build the cities and carry on the business of these states.

6. Corinth was taken by the Romans, B. C. 147. After the taking of Corinth, the Romans abolished the several governments of the Greek states, but they permitted their laws and usages to continue in force under the superintendance of Roman governors. They united all these states under the name of the province of Achaia.

SICYON.

1. To the west of Corinthia lay the little district of Sicyon. It boasted itself to be the most ancient state of Greece: by this is signified that to this territory the arts of Egypt or of Phoenicia were first brought; and that in this part of Peloponnesus useful labours, agriculture, the construction of houses, the manufacture of decent clothing, first contributed to the comfort of the inhabitants. Modern travellers relate that there still are people of Africa who have no artificial dwelling places they shelter themselves from the elements in caves, feed on fruits of the earth, and clothe themselves in skins of animals. The primitive inhabitants of Greece are described to have once been as destitute, but arts brought to them by colonies that settled among them, arts which they themselves afterwards brought to perfection, at length made them superior to every people in the world.

2. There is nothing related of Sicyon particularly striking, but a passage of her private history serves to show that mere accomplishments derive their principal value from the good sense which they set off and adorn. Clisthenes, king of Sicyon, was declared victor at the chariot races of Olympia. On this occasion he caused a herald to announce to the assembled multitude that all who aspired to marry the princess Agarista of Sicyon, might repair to his court; and there, on the expivation of a year from the day then present, he would determine on whom to bestow her.