as the laws require; and lastly, that when, by swearing a solemn oath after myself and the witnesses, he might have procured a release to the extent of the sum as to which he required Milyas to be questioned, he did not think proper to swear it. I declare to heaven, I could not devise a surer method of proving my case, than the one I have adopted. And yet Aphobus, clear as it is that he calumniates the witnesses, and sustained no damage by their evidence, and lost the verdict justly, still puts a bold face on the matter. There would be less reason to wonder at the style of his present language, if he had not been condemned in the first instance by his own friends, and by the arbitrator. For you must know, that, after inducing me to refer the case to Archenaus, and Dracontides, and Phanus, (the last of whom is defendant in this action,) he revoked their authority, because he heard them say, that, if they decided on oath, they should give their award against him; then he went before the official arbitrator, by whom, as he could make no answer to my claim, judgment was pronounced for me. From this he appealed to a jury; who, upon hearing the case, affirmed the decree of his friends and the arbitrator, and assessed the damages at ten talents. They gave their judgment, not on the ground that he had admitted Milyas to be a freeman, (for this was of no importance ;) but because, an estate of fifteen talents having been left to me, he would not grant a lease of it; and

because he and his colleagues managed it for ten years, and he allowed me (then a child) to be assessed to the property tax at one fifth of the whole value, the same rate at which Timotheus the son of Conon and men of the largest fortunes were assessed; and, after so long managing a property, which he chose to be so highly rated, he delivered to me, as the balance due from himself, not so much as the value of twenty minas, and united with his colleagues to plunder me of my whole substance, the capital as well as the income. For these reasons the jury, allowing interest on the whole amount, not at the rate at which estates are usually let, but at the lowest rate they could, found the loss I had sustained by the fraud of the guardians to exceed thirty talents altogether; and therefore they assessed this man's damages at ten talents.

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DEMOSTHENES AGAINST ONETOR.

CASE.

DEMOSTHENES, having obtained judgment against Aphobus, proceeded to levy execution. Not finding any goods of the defendant to levy upon, he takes possession of a house and a piece of land. Here he encounters opposition; for the land is claimed by Onetor, who alleges that it was mortgaged to him to secure the portion' settled upon his sister on her marriage with Aphobus. Demosthenes, having made formal entry upon the land, is turned off by Onetor, against whom he commences an action of trespass2.

OPENING SPEECH.

GENTLEMEN of the jury: I was most anxious to avoid the quarrel between Aphobus and myself, and also this in which I am engaged with his brother in law, Onetor, the defendant. I therefore made many fair proposals to both of them ; but nothing like reasonable terms could I obtain from either. Indeed I have found this man far more troublesome, and more deserving of punishment, than the other. I pressed Aphobus (though in vain) to let our disputes be settled among friends, and not to try the experiment of a jury. But this man, when I bade him be the judge in his own cause, to avoid the risk of a trial, treated me with the utmost contempt; refused to hold any conversation with me, and in a very insulting manner turned me off the land, which belonged to Aphobus when I recovered judgment against him. Now then, since he unites with his brother in law to deprive me of my property, and has come into court relying on the influence of his friends, the only course left for me is, to seek redress at your hands. I am aware, gentlemen, that I have to contend against ingenious pleading and witnesses prepared to give false evidence. I think, however,

you

the justice of my cause will give me such advantage in argument over the defendant, that if any of had a good opinion of him before, you will learn from his conduct towards me, that he has all along been (unknown to you) the vilest and basest of mankind. I will shew you, that he has not only never paid the marriage portion, for which he says the estate is mortgaged, but has laid a plot from the very beginning to defraud me; and also that the lady, on whose behalf he ejected me from this land, has not been divorced; and that he is now screening Aphobus, and defending this action with a view to defeat my lawful claims. All this I shall prove by such clear and strong evidence, that you will at once see the justice and propriety of the action which I have brought against him. I shall commence at that part of the case, which will best give you an insight into the whole.

It was known, gentlemen, to many of the Athenians, and it did not escape the observation of the defendant, that my guardians were grossly neglecting their duty. The discovery was indeed made very early; numerous meetings and discussions were held on the subject of my affairs, before the archon as well as other persons. For the value of the property left me was notorious, and it was pretty evident, that the trustees were leaving it unlet, for the purpose of enjoying the income themselves. This being so, there was not a single man acquainted with the circumstances, who did