y made to Lycurgus
the atrocious and unnatural proposal to destroy the life of her child,
on condition that he would marry her, and allow her to share the
kingdom with him. Lycurgus was much shocked at receiving such a
proposition, but he deemed it best, for the time being, to appear to
accede to it. He accordingly represented to the queen that it would
not be best for her to make the attempt which she had proposed, lest
she should thereby endanger her own safety. "Wait," said he, "and let
me know as soon as the child is born; then leave every thing to me. I
will do myself whatever is required to be done."

Lycurgus, moreover, had attendants, provided with orders to keep
themselves in readiness when the child should be born, and, if it
proved to be a son, to bring the babe to him immediately, wherever he
might be, or however he might be engaged. If it proved to be a
daughter, they were to leave it in the hands of the woman who had
charge of the queen. The babe proved to be a son. The officers took
it, accordingly, and brought it at once to Lycurgus. The unnatural
mother, of course, understood that it was taken away from her to be
destroyed, and she acquiesced in the supposed design, in order, by
sacrificing her child, to perpetuate her own queenly dignity and
power. Lycurgus, however, was intending to conduct the affair to a
very different result.

At the time when the attendants brought the new-born babe to
Lycurgus's house, Lycurgus was engaged with a party of friends whom he
had invited to a festival. These friends consisted of nobles,
generals, ministers of state, and other principal personages of the
Spartan commonwealth, whom Lycurgus had thus assembled in
anticipation, probably, of what was to take place. The attendants had
been ordered to bring the child to him without delay, wherever they
might find him. They accordingly came into the apartment where
Lycurgus and his friends were assembled, bringing the infant with
them in their arms. Lycurgus received him, and holding him up before
the company, called out to them, in a loud voice, "Spartans, I present
to you your new-born king!" The people received the young prince with
the most extravagant demonstrations of joy; and Lycurgus named him
Charilaus, which means, "Dear to the people."

The conduct of Lycurgus on this occasion was thought to be very
generous and noble, since by bringing the child forward as the true
heir to the crown, he surrendered at once all