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Show » So The third Booke of thefirSt part Cuwar.8.6.6, ct the Arhewians)) "This was fought to haue bin excufed by the Lacedemonian Embafladouts;who comming to-athens (whither they had fent home all prifoners that had bin detained at Thebes) hoping withgentle words tofalue the matter ; faying, That from hencefoithnoenemieto: Athens fhould neftle in Pawacte, for it was deftroyed. Bi thefe Embaffadors had not to deale vvithtame fooles. For the Athenians told them in plaine termes, TThat of three principall conditions agreed vponin their late League, they-had‘not performed any one, but viedfuch bafe conclufionas ftood notwith their honoar: having madepriuate alliance with the Thebaves ; hauing deftroyed a Towne that they {liould hauereftored ; and not hauing forced their dependants by Warre, to make good the Couenants of the late concluded peace. Heereuponthey difmiffed the Embaffadors vith rough words, meaning withas rough deeds to angerthofe that lat to fentthem, There were at that time;bothin Athens and Sparta,many that wereill-contented with the peaceramong whomwere the Ephori,chofenforthat yeare,in Spartezand Alcibiades, a powerfull young Gentlemanin Athens.But the Ephor?, though defiring to renewthe warre,yet wifhed that firftthey might get fromthe e4thenians as muchas wastoberendred to them by Couenant,efpecially Py/ws that hadfo forely troubled them. Alcibiades, vvhofeN obilitie,riches,& fauor with the people,made himdefire warre, as the meane wherbyhiinfelf might procure fome hononrable employment ; vfedall meanest the quarréll on foot,whileft the Atheaians had yet both aduantage enough,as not he rendred ought faue their prifoners, and pretence enoughto vie that aduantage of king the peace,byreafon that the Lacedemonians (thoughindeed againft their wills ) had brokenall couenants with them. Nowthe State of rbens had fully determinedtot Pylus,and to performe nothing that the Lacedemonians fhould, and might require, V theyhad firft,without anylonger halting, fulfilled all articles whereto they werebo euch to the yvemoft point. This was enough to makethem fweat, whoh: donethe moft thatthey could,had as yet got nothing in recompence, ex ty of their Citizens,vvhich vvere prifoners. But Alcibiades vvifhing a {peedy bet ofopen vvarre, {ent priuily to the Argives,and gaue themto vnderftand howf timeferued for therto affociate themfelues with Athens, vvhich was eno themfecuritie againft all Enemies. The Argines vponthefirft confluence ofmany Eftates vnto theirfocietie, had embra- iCuar.8.$06. ned the Lacedzmonians,ta fee things fall-outin fuchwife 4s. might gine to the: Athenians caufe ofdifpleafure ; but thatalfihould be done whichin reafon might berequired for making matters euen between them; to which purpofe they thewed that themfelues hadabfolute commiffion. Wherfore they defired that Pylus mightbe reftored to them, and efpecially for the prefent,that the negotiation with the Argiues tnight be called a- fide. Fauourable atidience was giuen tothis propofition,the rather ,becaufe they which profnifedamends; had power'to make their words good. Butall this fairelikelihoodof oodagreemient.was datht on the fuddaine, by the practice of "Avoibiades, who, fecretly dealing withthe Lacedamonian Embaffadors, ‘perfwaded. themwell of his friendfhip yo towards their city,6c aduifed them totakeall care that their abfolute power toconclude whatthey pleafed in the nametof Sparta, might not be knowne to thé Communalty of Athens,leftthe infolent multitude fhould thereupon growperemptory & yeeldto no: thing,voleffethey coulddraw themto vnreafonableconditions. The Embaffadors belecued him,& fathioned:theirtale in the affembly ofthe people,as he had aduifed them. Hereuponthe fameAlcibiadestaking prefently theaduantage,whichtheir double dealing aforded; inueighed openly againft them; as men-of no fincerity, that were come to Athens forno other purpofe; than to‘ hinder the people from ftrengthaing themfelues with friends,meaniagto drawthe Argiues'& their Adherents totheiownealliance,as (contraty to their owne Oath) alreadythey had the Thebans. The people of Athens, yo Whom 4 pleafing' etrand"would very' hardly: hane fatisfied, orbrought into a good opinion of the Lacedemonians, (whofe: honeft fheanings had fo ill been' feconded with good performance)' were nowfo much'incénfed withthe double dealing ‘of the Embafladouts , and the ftrong perfwafionsof Alcibiades that litle wanted of ‘concluding theleague with Argos. Yet for the prefent fo fatre did' Nieias , an honourableCitizen; and great friend'to the peace, preuaile with them,that the bufineffe was put off, voll he himfelfe, with other Embaffadouts, tightfetch a better anfwerfrom Sparta; Te may-alfo'feemea great wonder, howfo pooreatricke of ‘Alcibiades was able to haue catt Garry a matter‘of fo great importance; when the Spartati Embaffadours might jo theloade vpon his ownéthoulders; by difcouering the tiuth : But the grauity which was vfually found in the Lacedxmonians, hindred them(perhaps) fromplayingtheit ; ehandfomely againft fo nimblea wit; and they might well haue beene thought trulty men,had they profeffed themfelues ced great hopes of working wonders,asifthey fhould hauehadthe conductofall Greeve againtt the Athenians, robbing Sparta ofthat honour, as hauing ill vfedit, and thereby leaving their old enemiesin cafe of much contempt and difabilitie. But thefe fuddainap prehenfions ofvaine ioy,werefuddainly changedinto as vaine feare; which ill af with the great opinionthat hadlatelybin conceiued of Argos, For when the Therans hadrefufed their alliance;whenthe Corinthians had fought fecuritie from Athens ; 2 whena falf¢ tumout was noyfed abroad, Athens,Thebes,and Sparta,werecc / 1 1 agreement vponall points ofdifference ; then be anthe Argixes to let fal and fue for peace vntothe Lacedemoxians who t ding itas muchas they, held theit grauity,and werenot ouer-haftie to accept it. At this time, ) bation,the ine flage of Alcibi ades cameVery welcometothe+ at 7 Ofthis bifinefle the Lacedemonians knew not what tothink fuch a combination tended to thei great hurt,and therefor ae Oe ofthe Athenians, the new aone.tha n{{tood with tone, than ; eft, that the Lacedxand among tl torilyto fequire performan ec of all conditions, monians fhouldtake the painesto rebuild Panatte , and fhould immediately renounce : t heit Alliance made with the Thebans; lettit ( derftand that otherwifethe A- aMans, without further delay a would <« toconfed racy with theArgue, and ueitadherents. The Ephori at Sparta had no mindeto forfake the rhebans s affiired eanger of SE ae| en ‘nieads totheir Stare ; but wrought fohard, tl Sd tobreake out what Way It could, which to te,th ey i ; : een 1a ; my iat the requeft of Nisias their honour: who woul not iceme to haue tween the Athenians, Argiues, ‘ame commonfriend or holdi dem omlans were paffed ouc th filence, 7 did bendit felfe chiefly ag %¢ Eleans, with very ampleprouiein , though the Lace\ ¢ whole intent of ue betweene him and ats y anewleague was ; in fhort while after was pro ho/hauing reftored all that they : selolution preuailing, theyfent away fuch oftheir sCacre wha ear Mmontor , ‘o.deliuer « Sparta, being peremp- Nisigsandhis Companions hada fowre me Epbori the on ; ; others theirr honour.o 2 r profit held fomuch,hot tofticke'y ponalittle more, burrat her by the friendhhip oft hat Statewhich Was th Peace,who comming to Athens, .. with fall com F fuch as w ould fay and yn-fayfor theirmoft dduantage, ietted nothing) fwearea-newto keepe t Athens. Immediately therefore vpon confulting howto becomethe chiefe ofall others, fore they Tent away prefently to athens,their owne: ; ya the Mantineaus and Eleans, ' to make aleacuc offenfiuie, {tates and the Athenians, 1 of the Hiftory ofthe World. c fes,did earneftly labour in the Councell-houfe,to makethetr ing ir Contederacie Confederscic with wi the Thebans , n> thattheir hadtended to n Fecoucry of Panacte:concerning whic h Towne,or anyother bu Athenians, and "rg todoe the like, had themfclues st De 1) forde ‘*¢nothing oftheir owne(prifoners exc wa . = d. But thar which did moft of all difablethem, red inthe Ri a the tary of P eacey had reconered the most part Ppp lofle of toring allthatt a yhicn 2 |