ARGUMENT OF THE SPEECH. THE orator begins by insisting on his right to dispose of the different heads of the indictment in whatever order he may think proper. He then proceeds to vindicate his own conduct in respect of two matters not included in the indictment, but introduced into the speech of Æschines-the Peace and the Embassy to Macedon. Next, in order to justify the commendation bestowed upon him by the Proposal of Ctesiphon, he passes in review his own political career, justifying in general his systematic opposition to Philip, and relying in particular upon the aid given to Byzantium and his own emendation of the law of Trierarchs. He then discusses the legal objections brought forward against the time and place proposed for the proclamation of the crown, and proceeds to an attack upon Eschines, reflecting upon his origin and his whole conduct, particularly his political conduct; in respect of which he charges schines with having caused the Amphissæan war. introduction of this topic enables him to vindicate his own conduct in promoting the campaign which terminated in the battle of Charonea, in spite of its disastrous result: this he does at great length; and after answering many of the arguments used by Eschines in his speech for the prosecution, he concludes by again drawing a highly wrought contrast between his own character and career and that of his opponent. The THE ORATION OF DEMOSTHENES ON THE CROWN. FIRST let me implore all the powers of heaven that in like manner as I ever have been and am, and ever shall be, affected towards my country and you, so may I find you disposed towards me in this trial. Secondly, I pray, and that in your own interests, in the interest of your personal honour and your duty to the gods, that you may be so guided from above that you will not allow my opponent to dictate to you in what order I am to arrange my speech, but leave that to the laws and to your oaths, to give both sides a fair hearing; and that means not only that you will not condemn beforehand, but also that you will leave both parties free to put forward their topics of defence in such order as they themselves select. There are many points in which Æschines has me at a disadvantage: two of magnitude. We have not the same stakes on the result. It is not the same thing for me to risk the loss of your good opinion and for him the loss of his verdict. The consequence to me -but here, at the threshold of my defence, let me B make no sinister anticipation. . . . At any rate, he has something to give away. Again, it is natural to all men to listen with pleasure to strong language and a personal attack, and to be revolted at the sound of self-praise. The attractive part, then, falls to Eschines, and the obnoxious to me. If, in order to keep clear of this, I abstain from saying anything about my own deserts, it will be equivalent to admitting that I have no defence, even upon those points on which I profess to uphold my claims to honour. But if I enter at large into the details of my policy and career, -I must necessarily be egotistical. Let me do so with as much moderation as I can, and let the inevitable necessity of these topics be laid to the charge of him who has brought this question before you. You will agree, Gentlemen, that Ctesiphon and I are both concerned in this prosecution, and that my interest in the enquiry is no less than his. Gentlemen, the loss of any of our possessions is a trying and a painful thing; to lose at the hand of an enemy, aggravates the wound: but of your good-will and affection, as it is the highest happiness to gain them, so is it the highest penalty to be deprived. And these are at stake in the present trial; wherefore I call upon and exhort you all alike to hear me upon these charges in my righteous defence, as you are enjoined by the laws; and remember that Solon, the original author, a man emphatically friendly to you and your popular institutions, thought it necessary to give them force, not merely by placing them on the Statute Book, but also by the oaths of the tribunal: not from any distrust of you, as I conceive, but because aspersions and accusations, which give to a prosecutor as the first speaker such an instrument of strength, can hardly be got over by a defendant, unless every one of the tribunal, which you are, keeps steadily in view his duty to Heaven, and his mind open to the merits of the case he has not yet heard: unless he gives an open and equal ear to both sides, and so proceeds to a decision when the whole matter is before him. At the moment when I must render an account, as it seems I must, of all my private life, and my public conduct, I again call Heaven to my assistance, and again ask, in the presence of you all, that as I have been well or ill affected to the State and you all, so may Heaven prosper me in my defence; secondly, that Providence will be pleased to guide you in that course which will best conduce to your common credit, and be consistent with the reverence of each one of you for the oath he has taken. If Eschines had confined his accusations to the subject of his indictment, I would have immediately proceeded to touch upon the proposal for coronation : but since he has gone at equal length into other matters with many other charges against me, and those charges false, I think it necessary and indeed only right, that I too should begin by shortly dealing with these topics, in order that none of you, prejudiced by the introduction of foreign matter, should give me a less favourable hearing on the legitimate subject of his speech. To all his intemperate attacks upon my private life, I have only this to say: I have lived among you all my life. If you know me to be what he has said, do not listen to another word I have to say. Never mind whether my public conduct has had merit, or even if it has had unusual merit: rise up in your seats as one man, and condemn me at this instant. But if I am a better man than he, a fond |