Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-03-26
FOR TIE ALEXANDRIA ADVERTISER.

FROM the general tenor of the essays of
Jugenis, bis opponent cannot charge MN
with a malignant peryersion OF has meaning;
bus will, on the contrary, believe that he
! viewed his argument in cursory manner.
If.fAe Gentle man honoIe ed his piece by Sc
con6 reading he would appeal to his $. memory
ii ne cid not assert that 4zches YOU'D lneyl1a-
bly suosert good government. He repeats
that luxury, the hand-maid OF rlches, from
Whatever Quarter The latter eulanated, ell
9enaered tie ruin of the Persian empire.
In Persia proper, from particular preSepts
of <.oroaster, the founder OF their religion, a
s3nasitilne life was rendered Incompatible with
she practiee of their faith; but this was not
she easc in their conquered Provinces: Pic
nicia was, az the time Of which spoke, the
greatest, and, except her offspring Carthage,
sfne oniY9 commercial nation IN the world. I ne
kings ei Persia maintained immense fleets
eqRipped In theirrumerous proYIncesbor
ing on the Mediterranean.
Exclusive of these .iniets, does It matter
whether the productions Of distant cline
are transported Scross the ocean III ships, or
over land by caravans, is not the consequence
similar. Is then the example OF Persia irreia-
tive
:. I.ycurgus decreed that the punishment
Of death should be inflicted or him who should
tlishonor raaislen-he accustomed the youth
OF Sparta to blush oaly at vice M odesty
deprived OF part OF It's veil was respected
by both sexes and the women OF Lacede-
mon were distinguished by the purity OF their
manners. No where are women less watch
& ed or under less restraint, nor have they any
where less abused their liberty The idea OF
inhdeiity to their husbands would formerly
have appeared to them as strange as that OF
displaying the least regard to studied orna-
sInent in their dress. ThoGgh at present
ca. NJ, $3.50, or 55oth year OF the laws OF
Lycurgus) they have no longer the same pru-
dence Tor the same modesty, they arc still
syaoye' o5servant of their duties than the orher
.wolnen.of Greece. Their husbands consult
Them both concerning their private affairs ard
hose ofthe state. The most happy harmony
prevails in Spartan families. ~ Is there IN
This any thing importing 6 a lieentous inter-
course between the sexes which exc;tes the
horror of Juyenis He must have dreamed.
In Athens courtezans were numerous, biit
do not recollect of one III Sparta.
An attcrapt was made upon Cieomenes,
king of Sparta, to bride him with presents
a daughter of his, about eight Or nine years
old, who was present, cried, " Fly, my ia
Their, Az, this stranger viii corrupt you.
Was this child badly educated
In the Gymnasisn the youth were encou-
ragged IN larcenies to make them expert in
the manoeuvres of the icld--punishmen
followed detection, and shame inspired
young Spartan with fortitude to submit pa
tiently o a Fox, which he had concealed IN
der his cleathes, tearing his bowels out, be-
fore he would give publicity to the crime by
confession. Many authors have palliated the
cruelties of the Spartans to the Helots; IN
several points history is rather defective With
respect to them.
concedc that Sparta was suspected and
probably with Justice, of envy and breach OF
faith towards the Helots whea they had bed
for enfranchisement but does passing
cloud eclipse the beauty OF ay-day
Rejecting that Juvenis is supported by
&c reason," he is sometimes anaccountabiy So
phistical: my expectations were elevated
when he promised TO examine my historical
facts; but he unhappily descends to the quo
tation of few solitary instances of injustice
and tyranny on the side of Sparta, which at
most prove that a yirtuous people were un-
Willingly led into acts OF oppression by lead
ers, whose services to the state mad rendered
them, while interrupted, objects of adora-
ton from grateful people.
Agesilaus, who had furnished many virtues
by the contagious vices of corrupt nations,
artfuily appeased the iage of Sparta when
acquainted with the unauthorized conduct of
Its COMMANDER. The ferment this outrage
occasioned proved the people to be noble
but the prince degenerate.
Antecedent to this, Cleomenes, awaiting.
himself OF the respect in which his subjects
held religion, suborned 1t to deceive them
Infiuencad by the dacant;nn .La., la.onaA