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The hopes of this company made them sit long; and
we coming opportunely quickly forced our way through
the servants to the hall, and stood a little at the door, to
take notice of every one at table; our shady garlands and
apparel disguising our intentions, all sat silent, in expectation of what would follow. But as soon as Melon, laying
his hand upon his sword, was making through the midst
of them, Cabirichus (who was the archon chosen by lot)
catching him by the arm cried out to Phyllidas, Is not this
Melon? Melon loosed his hold presently, and drawing
out his sword, made at staggering Archias, and laid him
dead on the floor; Charon wounded Philip in the neck,
and whilst he endeavored to defend himself with the cups
that were about him, Lysitheus threw him off his seat,
and ran him through. We persuaded Cabirichus to be
quiet, not to assist the tyrants, but to join with us to free
[p. 420]
his country, for whose good he was consecrated governor
and devoted to the Gods. But when being drunk he
would not harken to reason, but grew high, began to
bustle, and turned the point of his spear upon us (for
our governors always carry a spear with them), I catching
it in the midst, and raising it higher than my head, desired him to let it go and consult his own safety, for else
he would be killed. But Theopompus, standing on his
right side and smiting him with his sword, said: Lie
there, with those whose interest you espoused; thou shalt
not wear the garland in freed Thebes, nor sacrifice to the
Gods any more, by whom thou hast so often curst thy
country, by making prayers so many times for the prosperity of her enemies. Cabirichus falling, Theocritus
standing by snatched up the sacred spear, and kept it
from being stained; and some few of the servants that
dared to resist we presently despatched; the others that
were quiet we shut up in the hall, being very unwilling
that they should get abroad and make any discovery, till
we knew whether the other company had succeeded in
their attempt.
Plutarch. Plutarch's Morals. Translated from the Greek by several hands. Corrected and revised by. William W. Goodwin, PH. D. Boston. Little, Brown, and Company. Cambridge. Press Of John Wilson and son. 1874. 2.
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