Speeches of Henry Lord Brougham, upon questions relating to Publics Rights, Duties... Vol. 4-2

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APPENDIX.

Since then the struggle is for our existence, it behoves us to bear in mind, that they who have sold themselves to him, shall be holden in utter detestation, and suffer all extremities.1—For it is impossible, it is quite impossible, that you should overcome your enemy without the walls, until you have chastised the enemies within the walls who are devoted to him; and against whom if you are driven as upon rocks2 standing in your course, you must inevitably be too late to cope with the others. For how does it happen, think you, that he should be insulting you, (as I cannot for my part conceive but he is,) and already menacing you, while he is overcoming others by his kindness, if by nothing else ? Just as he allured the Thessalians into their present servitude by loading them with favours ; and no one can tell by how many gifts, Potidæa among the rest, he gained over the wretched Olynthians.— The Thebans he is now seducing, after delivering over to them Bœotia, and relieving them from a long3 and burdensome warfare. Now while these states have obtained each some accession of territory, yet they have all either already had to undergo extremities known to every one, or, happen what may, they will assuredly have to undergo them.4 But you—I say 1 ’Αποτυμττανίσαι —“ utterly beat to death.” The μισειν is so much less than “ extreme abhorrence,” that it comes strangely with this violent expression. 2 "Ωσπερ προβολοις προσπταίοντας. This is a figure which, however expressive, is for Demosthenes somewhat strong. Προβολος is “ a rock in the way of a surge and on which it beats.” Leland’s “ strike on these, as so many obstacles,” has all the violence of the figure—i.e. the striking upon enemies, without its picturesque effect. Francis is as bad as possible here,—“ these quicksands upon which you strike, and upon which you are unavoidably shipwrecked,”—there being nothing like quicksands in the case, and nothing like striking on them if there were. 3 Πολλου. Wolf properly considers this epithet as applied to the length of the Phocian or Sacred war, and not to its character, as some understand it ; πολλου, says he, αvτì τον μακρον . Some MSS., however, omit the word altogether. It cannot mean “ great” or heavy ;”—χαλεατον conveys that sufficiently.— Reisk. Appar. Crit. i. 83. 4 Leland gives this happily by a paraphrase ; it is certainly not at all literal —but it brings out the meaning. They “ are either involved in calamities known to the whole world, or wait with submission for the moment when such calamities are to fall upon them.” It should have been “ await the moment; “ wait for” implies a desire for their coming.


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