religion in secret, yet publicly countenanced that religion which he believed to be false, sacrificed at the public altars, and taught his disciples, in matters of religious worship, to govern themselves by "the custom of their country!" Even after he was condemned to die, instead of bearing witness to the truth, concerning the true God, his whole behaviour tended to confirm the popular superstition! We will give you in a few sentences the closing scene!"you shall all follow me when your hour comes. Mine is now, and as a tragical poet would say, the surly pilot calls me abroad, wherefore it is time I should go to the bath for I think it is better to drink the poison after I am washed, in order to save the women the trouble of washing me after I am dead. After he came out of the bath, they brought his children to him; for he had three, two little ones, and one that was pretty big and the women of his family came all in to him. He spoke to them some time in the presence of Crito, gave them their orders and desired them to retire, and then came back to us. When he came in, he sat down upon his bed, without saying much for much about the same time the officer of justice came in, and drawing near to him, 'Socrates,' says he, 'you know what I come to tell you; en

deavour to bear this necessity with a constant mind.'

My dear Crito,' says Socrates, 'let us obey with a handsome mien; if the poison be brewed, let him bring it; if not, let him brew it himself.' 'But, methinks Socrates,' says Crito, 'the sun still shines upon the mountains, and is not yet set; I know several in your circumstances did not drink the poison till a long time after the order was given; that they supped very well, and enjoyed any thing they had a mind to: wherefore I conjure you not to press so hard: you have yet time enough.' 'Go,' says Socrates, my dear Crito, and do as I bid you!' Whereupon Crito gave the sign to the slave that waited just by. The slave went out, and after he had spent some time in brewing the poison, returned accompanied by him who was to give it, and brought it altogether in one cup. Socrates seeing him come in; 'that is very well, my friend,' says he; but what must I do? for you know best, and it is your business to direct me.' 'You have nothing else to do,' says he, but whenever you have drank it, to walk about until you find your legs stiff, and then to lie down upon your bed. This is all you have to do,' and at the same time he gave him the cup. Socrates took it, not only without any commotion, or change of colour or countenance, but with

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joy; and looking upon the fellow with a bold eye, as he was wont to do, what do you say of this mixture,' says he; is it allowable to make a drink offering of it?' Socrates,' replied the man, we never brew more at once, than what serves for one dose.' 'I understand you,' says Socrates, but at least it is lawful for me to pray to the GODS, that they would bless the voyage and render it happy. This I beg of them with all my soul ! ' Having said that, he drank it all off, with an admirable tranquillity and an inexpressible calmness. 'I always heard it said,' he remarked, 'that a man ought to die in tranquillity, and blessing GOD!' In the meantime, he continued to walk, and when he felt his legs stiff, he lay down on his back, as the man had ordered him. The same man that gave him the poison, came up to him, and after looking upon his legs and feet, bound up his feet with all his force, and asked him if he felt it? He said, no! Then he bound up his legs; and having carried his hand higher, gave us the signal that he was quite cold. Socrates, likewise felt himself with his hand, and told us, that when the cold came up to his heart, he should leave us. All his lower belly was already frozen: and then uncovering himself, for he was covered, 'Crito,' says he, (these were his last words) 'we owe a cock to

Esculapius, discharge this vow for me, and do not forget it.' 'It shall be done,' says Crito, but have you any thing else to say to us?' He made no answer, and after a little space of time, departed. Crito, seeing that, came up and closed his mouth and eyes." Such was Socrates, so warmly recommended by our sceptical friends, as a celebrated teacher of religion and every way entitled to the honourable appellation—“a martyr for the truth!" Plato, acted a similar part, for though he banished the poets from his republic, because they corrupted the people, yet he ordered worship and rites to be performed to the Gods, to demons, and to Esculapius. Plato confesses," says Josephus, "that it is not safe to publish the true notion of God, among the ignorant multitude." In like manner, Varra, speaking of the established religion, says, many things are true, which are not only not fit for the vulgar to know, but, if they should be false, it is fit the vulgar should think otherwise." I shall subjoin Macnight's translation of Rom. 1. 21, as being strikingly descriptive of their condition : and "as they did not approve of holding God with acknowledgement, God delivered them over to an unapproving mind, to work those things which are not

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a Simpson's Sacred Literature, vol. iv. 551-555.

suitable being filled with all injustice, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness: full of envy, murder, strife, cunning, bad disposition, whisperers, revilers, haters of God, insolent, proud boasters, inventors of evil pleasures, disobedient to parents : imprudent, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful; who though they know the law of God, a that they that practise such things, are worthy of death, not only do them, but even are well pleased with those who practise them."

Sufficient has been advanced, we presume, to justify the following conclusions, viz:—

First. That, next to Moses, Herodotus, the Greek, was the first authentic historian. Moses was born in the year of the world 2433, (1571 years before Christ.) Herodotus, was born in the year 484 before Christ, and died in the year 413.d He was justly regarded by Tully and others, as being "the Father of History!"

Second. If the Mosaic narrative be rejected, then we must believe that the world was 3600 years without any written account of its own origin and of the supervision exercised, over the affairs of men, by

a Written on the heart. b Lightfoot. c Calmet. d Stewart's "Historical Remembrancer."

H