SECTION XV. OF DEMOSTHENES. NOTWITHSTANDING the decision of Virgil, learned men have not passed judgment unanimously between Cicero and Demosthenes. These two Orators hold nearly an equal rank.* But Rome, 'tis thine alone with awful sway To rule mankind and make the world obey; 'To tame the proud, the fetter'd slave to free: * The opinions of learned men, have indeed been various, as M. Maury intimates, respecting the intrinsic and relative merits of Cicero and Demosthenes. Out of a va riety which might be mentioned, the following observations are selected: QUINTILLIAN says, Quorum ego virutes plerasque arbitror similes, consilium, ordinem dividendi, præparandi, probandi rationem; omnia denique, quæ sunt inventionis. In eloquendo est aliqua diversitas; densior ille, (Demosthenes) hic (Cicero) copiosior: ille concludit adstrictius ; hic latius pugnat: ille acumine semper; hic frequenter et pondere; illi nihil detrahi potest: huic nihil adjici; curæ plus in hoc; in illo naturæ-cedendum vero in hoc quidem, quod ille et prior fuit, et ex magna parte Ciceronem, quan'tus est, fecit. Nam mihi videtur M. Tullius cum se totum ⚫ ad imitationem Græcorum contulisset, effinxisse vim De, mosthenis, copiam Platonis jucunditatem Isocratis." Quint. lib. x. c. 1, Cicero hath an unquestionable advantage over his rival in literature and philosophy, but he hath * LONGINUS, also, draws the following comparison on this subject, when he says to this effect: "My dear Terentianus, Cicero himself differs not in any respect more than in what I have mentioned, from Demosthenes; Demos⚫ thenes is concisely, Cicero is diffusely, sublime. Demosthenes, who burns and bears down all before him with an 'irresistible violence, rapidity, strength and fury, may be 'compared to an hurricane or thunderbolt: but Cicero's Eloquence, I apprehend, resembles some overwhelming conflagration, that spreads and destroys all before it, re*tains an intense and inextinguishable heat, breaks out in ⚫ different forms in different places, and is nourished by in'exhanstible supplies of fuel.*" < FENELON passes a similar judgment with Quintillian : 'I will go farther, and am not afraid to say that I think 'Demosthenes a greater Orator than Cicero. I protest " there is no man admires Cicero more than I do. He em. bellishes every thing he handles. He is an honour to speech; and makes that happy use of words that no one ' else could. He has a vast variety of wit. He is even • concise and vehement when he designs to be so against Cataline, Verres, and Antony. But we may perceive some finery in his discourses. His art is wonderful; but 'still we discern it. While he is concerned for the safety * Φιλατίς Τερεντιανε, και ὁ Κικέρων τε Δημοσθένες εν τοις μεγέθεσι παραλλατίει. Ο μεν γαρ εν ύψει το πλεον αποτομω, ὁ δε Κικέρων εν χυσει και ὁ μεν ημέτερος δια το μέλα βίας εκάρα, ετι δε ταχές, ρωμες δεινοτητος, διον καιειν τι αμα και διαρταζειν, σκηπίω τινι παρεικαζοιτ' αν η κεραυνω· ὁ δὲ Κικέρων, ως αμφιλα φης τις εμπρησμος (οιμαι) παλλη νεμέλας, και ανειλείται, πολύ έχων και ετινομον αει το καίον, και διακληρονομεί μενον ἀλλοτ αλλοίως εν αυτώ, και καλα διαδοχας ανατ εφομενον. - LONGIN de sublimitate, §. 12. not wrested from him the sceptre of Eloquence. He himself regarded Demosthenes as his master. ⚫ of the republic, he does not forget that he is an Orator, nor 'does he let others forget it.' 'Demosthenes seems transported, and to have nothing ❝ in view but his country? He does not study what is beau⚫tiful, but naturally falls into it without reflecting. He is ' above admiration. He uses speech, as a modest man 'does his clothes, only to cover himself. He thunders; he lightens he is like a torrent that hurries every thing along ⚫ with it. We cannot criticize him, for he is master of our 'passions. We consider the things he says, and not his ' words. We lose sight of him: we think of Philip only 'who usurps every thing. I am charmed with these two 'Orators; but I confess that Tully's prodigious art, and 'magnificent Eloquence affect me less than the vehement 'simplicity of Demosthenes."-FENELON'S Letter to the French Academy, § iv. p. 182.—See also the parellel which this author draws between the two Orators, in his Dialogues of the Dead, i. and ii. M. ROLLIN, remarking on this passage, says, "These ' reflections of the Abp. are extremely rational and judicious; and the closer we examine his opinion, the more 'we find it conformable to good sense, right reason, and the * most exact rules of true rhetoric. But whoever would 'take upon him to prefer Demosthenes' Orations to those of Cicero, ought, in my opinion, to possess pretty near as much solidity, force, and elevation of mind, as Demosthenes must have had to compose them. Whether it be ' owing to an old prepossession in favour of an author we have constantly read from our tender years; or that we are accustomed to a style which agrees more with our • manners, and is more adapted to our capacities, we can'not be persuaded to prefer the severe austerity of De'mosthenes to the insinuating softness of Cicero; and we 'chuse to follow our ovvn inclination and taste for an author He praised him with all the enthusiasm of the liveliest imagination. He translated his works; 'who is, in some measure, our friend and acquaintance, ra'ther than to declare, upon the credit of another, in favour ' of one that is almost a stranger to us."-ROLLIN's Belles Lettres, vol. ii. ch. iii. § 3, p. 261. Mr. Hume joins with those critics who give the preference to Demosthenes. Speaking of the charms of Cicero's Eloquence, he says, Some objections I own, not withanstding his vast success, may lie against some passages of the Roman Orator. He is too florid and rhetorical; his figures are too striking and palpable: the divisions of his discourse are drawn chiefly from the rules of the schools; and 'his wit disdains not always the artifice even of pun, a rhyme, or jingle of words. The Grecian addressed himself to an 'Audience much less refined than the Roman Senate or 'Judges. The lowest vulgar of Athens were his sovereigns; and the arbiters of his Eloquence. Yet is his manner 'more chaste and austere than that of the other. Could it be copied, its success would be infallible over a modern assembly. It is rapid harmony, exactly adjusted to the sense; it is vehement reasoning, without any appearance of art: it is disdain, anger, boldness, freedom, involved in • a continued stream of argument. And of all human pro'ductions the Orations of Demosthenes present to us the models which approach the nearest to perfection.' HUME's Essays, xii. vol. i. p. 120, 121. Mr. Knox observes, that Many critics have employed ⚫ their talents in making comparisons between Demosthenes and Tully. All of them agree in attributing to the former 'conciseness, and to the latter diffusion; and according to this judgment, they have not hesitated to give the prefer'ence to the Athenian. The concise vehemence of Demosthenes carried all before it by violence; the prolixity of Ci'cero gained ground by the soft arts of insinuation. The ef and, if his translations had reached us, it is probable that Cicero would have placed himself forever below Demosthenes. It is the irrefragable force of the reasoning; it is the irresistible rapidity of the rhetorical movements, which characterize the Eloquence of the Athenian Orator. When he writes, it is to give strength, energy, and vehemence to his thoughts. He speaks, not as an elegant writer who wishes to be admired, but as a passionate man tormentedr by truth; as a citizen menaced with the greatest misfortunes, and who can no longer contain the transports of his indignation against the enemies of his country. He defends He is the champion of reason. her with all the strength of his genius; and the rostrum where he speaks becomes the place of combat. He at once conquers his auditors, his "fect of the former was sudden and irresistible; that of the ⚫ latter, comparatively weak and dilatory.' KNOX's Essays, vol. i. No. 44. p. 204. Dr. BLAIR shall bring up the rear in the list of those critics who have compared Cicero and Demosthenes; The ⚫ character of the latter is vigour and austerity; that of Ci6 cero is gentleness and insinuation. In the one, you find more manliness; in the other, more ornament. The one ' is more harsh, but more spirited and cogent; the other 'more agreeable, but withal, looser and weaker.' BLAIR'S Lectures, vol. ii. p. 30. G |