havenowishtodisputethisestimate。ButonacarefulstudyitwillappearthattheAthenians，atleast，inahigherdegreethananyothercommunityofancienttimes，exhibitedparliamentarytact，ortheabilitytositstillwhilebothsidesofaquestionaregettingdiscussed，——thatsortofpoliticaltalentforwhichtheEnglishracesaredistinguished，andtothelackofwhichsomanyofthepoliticalfailuresoftheFrenchareegregiouslydue。
Onewouldsupposethatajudicatureofthewholetownwouldbelikelytoexecuteasorryparodyofjustice；yetjusticewasbynomeansill-administeredatAthens。Eventhemostunfortunateanddisgracefulscenes，——aswheretheproposedmassacreoftheMytilenaianswasdiscussed，andwheresummaryretributionwasdealtouttothegeneralswhohadneglectedtheirdutyatArginusai，——eventhesescenesfurnish，whenthoroughlyexamined，asbyMr。Grote，onlythemoreconvincingproofthattheAthenianwasusuallyswayedbysoundreasonandgoodsensetoanextraordinarydegree。Allgreatpointsinfact，weresettledratherbysoberappealstoreasonthanbyintrigueorlobbying；
andonecannothelpthinkingthatanAthenianofthetimeofPerikleswouldhaveregardedwithpityingcontemptthetrickofthe“previousquestion。“Andthisexplainstheundoubtedpre-eminenceofAthenianoratory。Thisaccountsforthefactthatwefindintheforensicannalsofasinglecity，andwithinthecompassofasinglecentury，suchnamesasLysias，Isokrates，Andokides，Hypereides，Aischines，andDemosthenes。Theartoforatory，liketheartofsculpture，shoneforthmorebrilliantlythenthaneversince，becausethentheconditionsfavouringitsdevelopmentweremoreperfectlycombinedthantheyhavesincebeen。Now，aconditionofsocietyinwhichthemultitudecanalwaysbemadetostandquietlyandlistentoalogicaldiscourseisaconditionofhighculture。ReadersofXenophon’sAnabasiswillrememberthefrequencyofthespeechesinthatcharmingbook。Wheneversometerribleemergencyarose，orsomealarmingquarrelordishearteningpanicoccurred，inthecourseoftheretreatoftheTenThousand，anorationfromoneofthecommanders——notademagogue’sappealtothelowerpassions，butacalmexpositionofcircumstancesaddressedtothesoberjudgment——usuallysufficedtosetallthingsinorder。TomymindthisisoneofthemostimpressivehistoricallessonsconveyedinXenophon’sbook。Andthispeculiarkindofself-control，indicativeofintellectualsobrietyandhighmoraltraining，whichwasmoreorlesscharacteristicofallGreeks，wasespeciallycharacteristicoftheAthenians。
Theseillustrationswill，Ihope，sufficetoshowthatthereisnothingextravagantinthehighestimatewhichIhavemadeofAthenianculture。IhavebarelyindicatedthecausesofthissingularperfectionofindividualtraininginthesocialcircumstancesamidwhichtheAthenianslived。Ihaveallegeditasaninstanceofwhatmaybeaccomplishedbyawell-directedleisureandintheabsenceorveryscantydevelopmentofsuchacomplexindustriallifeasthatwhichsurroundsusto-day。ButI
havenotyetquitedonewiththeAthenians。Beforeleavingthispartofthesubject，Imustmentiononefurthercircumstancewhichtendstomakeancientlifeappearinoureyesmoresunnyandhealthyandlessdistressed，thanthelifeofmoderntimes。