Excerpt from Elegant Extracts, Vol. 3: Being a Copious Selection of Instructive, Moral, and Entertaining Passages, From the Most Eminent Prose Writers; Book V. Vi. Orations and Harangues; Parliamentary Speeches Had we been convened, Athenians! On some new subject of debate, I had waited until most of the usual persons had declared their opinions. If I had approved of any thing preposed by them, I should have continued silent: if not, I had then attempted to speak my sentiments. But since those very points, on which these speakers have oftentimes been heard already, are, at this time, to be considered though I have risen first, I pre sume I may expect your pardon; for if they on former occasions had advised the necessary mea sures, you would not have found it needful to con sult at present. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.