No cross, no crown

by William Penn

XXIX. Theopompus saith, "The way to preserve a kingdom, is to embrace the counsel of one's friends, and not to suffer the meaner sort to be oppressed." One making the glory of Sparta to consist in commanding well, he answered, "No, it is in knowing how to obey well." He was of opinion, that great honours hurt a state; adding, that time would abolish great, and augment moderate honours among men; meaning, that men should have the reputation they deserve, without flattery and excess.

A rhetorician, bragging himself of his art, was reproved by a Lacedæmonian; "Dost thou call that an art," saith he, "which hath not truth for its object?" Also a Lacedæmonian being presented with a harp after dinner, by a musical person, "I do not," saith he, "know how to play the fool." Another being asked, what he thought of a poet of the times, answered, "Good for nothing but to corrupt youth." Nor was this only the wisdom and virtue of some particular persons, which may be thought to have given light to the dark body of their courts; but their government was wise and just, and the people generally obeyed it; making virtue to be true honour, and that honour dearer to them than life.

XXX. Lacedæmonian customs, according to Plutarch, were these: they were very temperate in their eating and drinking, their most delicate dish being a pottage made for the nourishment of ancient people. They taught their children to write and read, to obey the magistrates, to endure labour, and to be bold in danger: the teachers of other sciences were not so much as admitted in Lacedæmonia.—They had but one garment, and that new once a year. They rarely used baths or oil, the custom of those parts of the world.—They accustomed their youth to travel by night without light, to use them not to be afraid.—The old governed the young; and those of them who obeyed not the aged, were punished.—It was a shame not to bear reproof among the youth; and among the aged, matter of punishment not to give it. They made ordinary cheer, on purpose to keep out luxury; holding, that mean fare kept the spirit free, and the body fit for action. They permitted not their youth to travel, lest they should corrupt their manners; and for the same reason they permitted not strangers to dwell amongst them, that conformed not to their way of living. In this they were so strict, that such of their youth that were not educated in their customs, enjoyed not the privileges of natives. They would suffer neither comedies nor tragedies to be acted in their country. They condemned a soldier but for painting his buckler of several colours: and publicly punished a young man for having learned but the way to a town given to luxury. They also banished an orator for bragging, that he could speak a whole day upon any subject: for they did not like much speaking, much less for a bad cause.—They buried their dead without any ceremony or superstition; for they only used a red cloth upon the body, broidered with olive leaves; this burial had all degrees. Mourning they forbad, and epitaphs too.—When they prayed to God, they stretched forth their arms, which with them was a sign that they must do good works, as well as make good prayers. They asked of God but two things, patience in labour, and happiness in well-doing.

This account is mostly the same with Xenophon's: adding, that they ate moderately, and in common: the aged mixed with the youth, to awe them, and give them good example.—When they were fifteen years of age, instead of leaving them to their own conduct, as in other places, they had most care of their conversation, that they might preserve them from the mischiefs that age is incident to. And those that would not comply with these rules, were not counted always honest people.—And in this, their government was excellent; that they thought there was no greater punishment for a bad man, than to be known and used as such, at all times, and in all places; for they were not to come into the company of persons of reputation.—They were to give place to all others; to stand when they sat; to be accountable to every honest man that met them of their conversation.—That they must keep their poor kindred.—That they used not the same freedoms that honest people might use: by which means they kept virtue in credit, and vice in contempt.—They used all things necessary for life, without superfluity or want; despising riches, and sumptuous apparel, and living: judging, that the best ornament of the body is health, and of the mind, virtue. "And since," saith Xenophon, "it is virtue and temperance that render us commendable, and that it is only the Lacedæmonians that reverence them publicly, and have made it the foundation of their state; their government, of right, merits preference to any other in the world. But that," saith he, "which is strange, is, that all admire it, but none imitate it." Nor is this account and judgment fantastical.

XXXI. Lycurgus, their famous founder and lawgiver, instilled these principles, and by his power with them, made them laws to rule them. Let us hear what he did: Lycurgus, willing to retire his citizens from a luxurious to a virtuous life, and show them how much good conduct and honest industry might meliorate the state of mankind, applied himself to introduce a new model of government, persuading them to believe, that though they were descended of noble and virtuous ancestors, if they were not exercised in a course of virtue, they would, like the dog in the kitchen, rather leap at the meat than run at the game. In fine, they agreed to obey him. The first thing then that he did to try his power with them, was, to divide the land into equal portions, so that the whole Laconic country seemed but the lots of brethren: this grieved the rich; but the poor, which were the most, rejoiced.—He rendered wealth useless by community; and forbad the use of gold and silver: he made money of iron, too base and heavy to make a thief. He retrenched their laws of building, suffering no more ornament than could be made with a hatchet and a saw: and their furniture was like their houses. This course disbanded many trades: no merchant, no cook, no lawyer, no flatterer, no divine, no astrologer, was to be found in Lacedæmonia. Injustice was banished, their society having cut up the root of it, which is avarice, by introducing a community, and making gold and silver useless. To prevent the luxury of tables, as well as of apparel, he ordained public places of eating, where all should publicly be served; those that refused to come thither, were reputed voluptuous and reproved, if not corrected. He forbad costly offerings in the temple, that they might offer often; for that God regardeth the heart, not the offering.—These and some more, were the laws he instituted; and whilst the Spartans kept them, it is certain they were the first state of Greece; which lasted about five hundred years. It is remarkable, that he would never suffer the laws to be written, to avoid barratry; and that the judges might not be tied religiously to the letter of the law; but left to the circumstances of fact; in which no inconvenience was observed to follow.

II. The Romans also yielded us instances to our point in hand, viz.

1. Cato.—2. Scipio Africanus.—3. Augustus.—4. Vespasian.—5. Trajan.—6. Adrian.—7. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus.—8. Pertinax.—9. Pescennius.—10. Alexander Severus.—11. Dioclesian.—12. Theodosius.

1. Cato, that sage Roman, seeing a luxurious man loaded with flesh, "Of what service," saith he, "can that man be, either to himself, or the commonwealth?" One day beholding the statues of several persons erecting, that he thought little worthy of remembrance, that he might despise the pride of it, "I had rather," said he, "they should ask, why they set not up a statue to Cato, than why they do."—He was a man of severity of life, both example and judge.—His competitors in the government, hoping to be preferred, took the contrary humour, and mightily flattered the people: this good man despised their arts, and with an unusual fervency cried out, "That the distempers of the commonwealth did not require flatterers to deceive them, but physicians to cure them;" which struck so great an awe upon the people, that he was first chosen of them all.—The fine dames of Rome became governors to their husbands; he lamented the change, saying, "It is strange that those who command the world should yet be subject to women."—He thought those judges, that would not impartially punish malefactors, greater criminals than the malefactors themselves: a good lesson for judges of the world. He would say, That it was better to lose a gift than a correction; "for," says he, "the one corrupts us, but the other instructs us.—That we ought not to separate honour from virtue; for then there would be few any more virtuous." He would say, "No man is fit to command another, that cannot command himself. Great men should be temperate in their power, that they may keep it. For men to be too long in offices in a government, is to have too little regard to others, or the dignity of the state. They that do nothing, will learn to do evil. That those who have raised themselves by their vices, should gain to themselves credit by virtue." He repented him, that ever he passed away one day without doing good. And that there is no witness any man ought to fear, but that of his own conscience. Nor did his practice fall much short of his principles.

II. Scipio Africanus, though a great general, loaded with honours and triumphs, preferred retirement to them all; being used to say, That he was never less alone, than when he was alone: implying, that the most busy men in the world, are the most destitute of themselves; and, that external solitariness gives the best company within. After he had taken Carthage, his soldiers brought him a most beautiful prisoner; he answered, "I am your general;" refusing to debase himself, or dishonour her.

III. Augustus eating at the table of one of his friends, where a poor slave breaking a crystal vessel, fell upon his knees, begging him that his master might not fling him to the lampreys; as he had use to do for food, with such of them that offended him: Augustus hating his friend's cruelty, broke all his friend's crystal vessels, both reproving his luxury and his severity. He never recommended any of his own children, but he always added, If they deserve it. He reproved his daughter for her excess in apparel, and both rebuked and imprisoned her for her immodest latitudes. The people of Rome complaining that wine was dear, he sent them to the fountains, telling them they were cheap.