SOPHOCLES.

Sophocles, surnamed the Bee and the Attic Siren, was born at Athens, in the year 495 B. C. He gave early proofs of his talent for poetry, and aptitude for the business of government.-He reached the dignity of Archon, and, in this capacity, commanded the armies of the republic of Athens, with considerable reputation. As a tragic writer, he shared the favour of the Athenian public with Euripides, his contemporary and rival. Sophocles died at the advanced age of eighty-five. Some of his biographers relate that he expired from an ecstasy of joy, produced by his having carried the prize at the Olympic Games. But his number of years may alone account for his dissolution. He is said to have composed one hundred and twenty tragedies, of which seven only remain.

ANTIGONE.

The character of Antigone, as she is represented by Sophocles is that of the loveliest and best of women. She was the daughter of Edipus, king of Thebes. Her father being driven from his kingdom, and having in despair torn out his eyes, his faithful and patient child follows his wanderings, and soothes his sufferings as long as he lives. When her father is no more, she is afflicted by the discord of her brothers, and the persecutions of her uncle Creon. Her affection, fortitude, and undismayed sense of duty, are Worthy of a Christian heroine.

To illustrate the dialogue which follows, these notes are extracted from Francklin's Sophocles.

"Eteocles and Polynices, sons of the unfortunate Edipus, having an equal claim to the kingdom of Thebes, had agreed to divide the power, and to reign year by year alternately; but Eteocles stepping first into the throne, and tasting the sweets of sovereignty, broke the contract, and maintained himself in the possession of his dominions, Polynices in revenge, raised an army of Argives, and made an incursion on Thebes; a battle ensued, and, after much slaughter on both sides, the brothers agreed to decide it by single combat; they fought, and were slain by each other.

"After the death of the brothers, the kingdom of Thebes devolved to their uncle Creon, whose first a6t of supreme power was an edict forbidding all rites of sepulture to Polynices, as a traitor; and pronouncing instant death on any who should dare

to bury him. Here the action of the tragedy commences, the subject of which is the piety of Antigone in opposition to the edict of Creon, with the distresses consequent upon it. Antigone calls her sister out of the palace into the adjoining area, to inform her of the decree which had been issued on the preceding day, and her resolutions concerning it.

"Of all the honours paid to the dead by the ancients, the care of their funerals was looked upon by them as most necessary and indispensable; as to be deprived of sepulture was accounted the greatest misfortune, and the highest injury.. No imprecation was therefore so terrible as that any person might die destitute of burial;' it was not to be wondered at that they were thus solicitous about the interment of their dead, when they were strongly possessed with the opinion that the souls of the deceased could not be admitted into the Elysian shades, but were forced to wander desolate and alone, till their bodies were committed to the earth. Nor was it sufficient to be honoured with the solemn performance of their funeral rites, except their bodies were prepared for burial by their relations, and interred in the sepulchres of their fathers."

The importance attached by the Greeks to the rites of sepulture, is clear from that passage in Homer, in which Achilles is described as seeing, in a vision of the night, his friend Patroclus, who had recently been killed, and who reproaches him with neglecting the last duty to his remains :

"'Tis true, 'tis certain, man, though dead, retains
Part of himself—the immortal mind remains.

This night my friend so late in battle lost
Stood at my side, a pensive, plaintive ghost.

Sleeps my Achilles'—thus the phantom said -
'Sleeps my Achilles—his Patroclus dead?
Living I seemed his dearest, tenderest care,
But now forgot I wander in the air.

Let my pale corse the rites of burial know,
And give me entrance to the realms below:
Till then the spirit finds no resting place"".

19**

ANTIGONE AND ISMENE.

Ant. O my dear sister, my best-beloved Ismene,
Is there an evil, by the wrath of Jove
Reserved for Edipus' unhappy race,

We have not felt already? Sorrow and shame,
And bitterness and anguish, all that's sad,
All that's distressful hath been ours, and now
This dreadful edict from the tyrant comes
To double our misfortunes; hast thou heard
What harsh commands he hath imposed on all,
Or art thou still to know what future ills

Our foes have yet in store to make us wretched?
Ism. Since that unhappy day, Antigone,
When by each other's hand our brothers fell,
And Greece dismissed her armies, 1 have heard
Nought that could give or joy or grief to me.

Ant. I thought thou wert a stranger to the tidings;
And therefore called thee forth, that here alone
I might impart them to thee.

Ism.

0! what are they?

For something dreadful labours in my breast.
Ant. Know then, from Creon, our indulgent lord,
Our hapless brothers met a different fate,

To honour one, and one to infamy

He hath consigned; with funeral rites he graced
The body of our dear Eteocles,

Whilst Polynices' wretched carcass lies
Unburied, unlamented, left exposed

A feast for hungry vultures on the plain;
No pitying friend will dare to violate

The tyrant's harsh command, for public death
Awaits the offender; Creon comes himself

To tell us of it, such is our condition ;
This is the crisis, this the hour, Ismene,
'That must declare thee worthy of thy birth,

Or show thee mean, base, and degenerate.

Ism. What wouldst thou have me do? defy his power? Contemn the laws?

Ant.

Consider and resolve.

Ism.

To act with me, or not:

What daring deed

Would'st thou attempt—what is it ?—speak.

And would'st thou dare to bury it, when thus
We are forbidden ?

Ant.

Ay, to bury HIM :

He is my brother, and thine too, Ismene;
Therefore consent or not, I have determined
I'll not disgrace my birth.

Ism.

Pronounced it death to all ?

Ant.

Hath not the king

He hath no right,

No power to keep me from my own.
Ism.
Alas!
Remember our unhappy father's fate,
And last, in one sad day, Eteocles
And Polynices by each other slain.
Left as we are, deserted and forlorn,
What from our disobedience can we hope
But misery and ruin? Poor, weak women,
Helpless, nor formed by nature to contend
With powerful man. We are his subjects too;
Therefore to this, and worse than this, my sister,
We must submit. For me, in humblest prayer
Will 1 address me to the infernal powers
For pardon of that crime which well they know
Sprang from necessity, and then obey;
Since to attempt that we can never hope
To execute, is folly all and madness.

Ant. Wert thou to proffer what I do not ask, Thy poor assistance, I would scorn it now: Act as thou wilt; I'll bury him myself;

Let me perform but that, and death is welcome;
I'll do the pious deed, and lay me down
By my dear brother; loving and beloved
We'll rest together; to the powers below
'Tis fit we pay obedience; longer there

We must remain, than we can breathe on earth,
There I shall dwell for ever; thou, meantime,
What the gods hold most precious mayst despise.
Ism. I reverence the gods; but, in defiance
Of laws, and unassisted to do this,

It were most dangerous.

Ant.

That be thy excuse,

O! do not tell thy purpose,

I beg thee, do not; I shall never betray thee.

Ant. I'd have it known; and I shall love thee less
For thy concealment, than, if loud to all,

Thou wouldest proclaim the deed.

Too daring, and ill-suited to thy fate.

Ant. I know my duty, and I'll pay it there,
Where 'twill be best accepted.

It will be time enough to quit my purpose.

Ism. It cannot be; 'tis folly to attempt it.

Ant. Go on, and I shall hate thee; our dead brother,

He too shall hate thee as his bitterest foe;

Go, leave me here to suffer for my rashness;
Whate'er befalls, it cannot be so dreadful
As not to die with honour.

Ism.

Then farewell,

Since thou wilt have it so; and know, Ismene
Pities thy weakness, but admires thy virtue.

"Unlamented. This was the judgment which God denounced against Jehoiakim, king of Judah: they shall not lament for him, saying, ah! my brother, or ah! sister; they shall not lament for him, saying, ah! lord, or ah! his glory; he shall be buried with the burial of an ass,' &c. Jerem. 22, v. 18, 19.— The customs and manners of the Greeks were originally drawn from the eastern nations, which accounts for the similitude so observable in Sophocles and other heathen writers with some parts of holy writ."

EURIPIDES.

The prodigious armament, with which Xerxes invaded Greece, is well known: when he was advancing towards Attica, to revenge the defeat of his father's forces at Marathon, the Athe