Superfluity or Defect of Matter which some excuse by laying the Fault upon his Memory others upon his Multiplicity of Business which would not permit him to take a Review of what he had written Nevertheless he keeps his Station among those that may be thought most accomplish'd in all manner of Learning so that if I may speak my own Thoughts neither the Life of Plato nor the Epitome of the Zenonian Dogma's nor the three Epistles of Epicurus seem to be of his weaving Certain it is he wrote his Pammeter before his Lives which is nothing else but a Volume of Poems and Epigrams in all sorts of Meter in the Praise of several Persons which was divided as he testifies himself in the Life of Thales into several Books Some time after he had publisht it he collected out of several Authors the Lives of the most Illustrious Philosophers and dedicated them to a certain Lady as appears in the Life of Plato where he has this Expression Since you are so great an Admirer of Plato and a Lover of his Doctrine above any other c. Besides these Works of his we have no Authentic Testimony to confirm that he ever wrote any Thing more I also find several Remarkable Persons who bear the Name of Diogenes The First was a Sporadic Philosopher a Native of Apollonia and a Disciple of Anaximenes in the Seventieth Olympiad whose Life is recorded in the Ninth Book of this History and of whom Cicero makes mention in his First Book of the Nature of the Gods where he says But what kind of Thing can that Ayr be which Diogenes Apolloniates will have to be a God What Sence can it have or what Form The Second was the Cynic who was in his Declension about the 113th Olympiad whose Life is related at large in the Sixth Book of this History The Third was an Epicuredn born at Tarsus and a Disciple of Epicuriis who wrote a Treatise of the Most Famous Schools The Fourth a Stoic Sirnam'd the Babylonian though he were of Seleucia he flourish'd some Years before Cicero who testifies in the Fourth Book of his Tusculane Questions that he was sent with Carneades by the Athenians Ambassador to Rome You may see his Opinions in the Third Book De Finibus and the First De Natura Deorum the Second Of Divination the Third De Officiis and the Fourth De Oratore The last was our Laertius whose Life we here conclude The Names of the Translators THe First Book Translated from the Greek by T. Fetherstone D. D. The Second Book Translated from the Greek by Sam. White M. D. The Third Book Translated from the Greek by E. Smith M. A. The Fourth Book Translated from the Greek by J. Philips Gent. The Fifth Book Translated from the Greek by R. Kippax M. A. The Sixth Book Translated from the Greek by William Baxter Gent. The Seventh Book Translated from the Greek by R. M. Gent. Diogenes Laertius OF THE LIVES and SENTENCES of such Persons as were Famous in PHILOSOPHY The First Book Translated from the Greek by T. Fetherstone D. D. The Prooeme SOme there are who affirm That the study of Philosophy deriv'd its first Original from among the Barbarià ns For that among the Persians there were the Magi among the Babylonians or Assyrians the Chaldaeans and the Gymnosophists among the Indians Among the Gauls were another sort that went by the name of Druids or Semnotheans as Aristotle reports in his Magic and Sotion in his Thirteenth Book of Succession Among the Phoenicians flourish'd Ochus Zamolxes grew famous among the Thracians and Atlas among the Lybians Add to this That the Egyptians asserted Vulcan to be the Son of Nilus from whom among them Philosophy first commenc'd and over which they who presided as Presidents and Guardians were both Priests and Prophets From whence to the Time of Alexander the Macedonian were to be numbred Forty Eight Thousand Eight Hundred Sixty three Years In all which space of Time there appeared Eclipses of the Sun no less than Three hundred seventy three of the Moon Eight hundred thirty two From the Magi of whom the chiefwas Zoroastres the Persian by the computation of Hermodorus the Platonic in his Book of the Sciences to the Taking and Destruction of Troy were five thousand years though Xanthus the Lydian reck'ns from Zoroastres to the Descent of Xerxes not above six hundred years To which Zoroastres afterwards succeeded several other Magi under the various names of Ostanes Astrapsychi Gobryae and Pazatae till the total subversion of the Persian Monarchy by Alexander But they are grosly mistak'n while they attribute to the Barbarians the famous Acts and Inventions of the Grecians from whom not only Philosophy but even the Race of Mankind had its first Beginning For among the Athenians we behold the Ancient Musaeus among the Thebans Linus Ofwhich two the former reported to be the Son of Eumolpus is said to have first made out the Pedigree of the Gods to have invented the Sphere and first to have taught the World that All things were created of one Matter and should again be dissolv'd into the same This great Person ended his days at Phalerae where the following Elegy was ingrav'd upon his Tomb Here in Phalerian Dust beneath this stone Sleeps lov'd Musaeus once Eumolpus Son. Also from the Father of Musaeus the Eumolpidae among the Athenians deriv'd their Name As for Linus he was the Son of Mercury and the Muse Urania He wrote of the Creation of the World discovered the course of the Sun and Moon and from whence all Plants and Animals had their first Being Which lofty Poem of his began after this manner Once was the time when Nature's God display'd All things in Order and together made Whence Anaxagoras borrowing affirms that All things appear'd at first without shape together and at the same instant at what time the high Intelligence coming embellish'd and adorn'd the several Compositions This Linus ended his Life in Euboea being shot with an Arrow by Apollo After which accident this Epitaph was inscrib'd upon his Monument Here Theban Linus rests in Sacred Ground Vrania's Son with honour'd Garlands Crown'd And thus Philosophy had its Beginning among the Greeks which is also the more apparent from hence That in the very name it self there is not the least of barbarous Sound or Etymology True it is they who ascribe the Invention of it to the Barbarians produce the Thracian Orpheus to make good their Assertion whom they averr to have been a Philosopher and of great Antiquity But for my part I cannot understand how we can think him to be a Philosopher who utters such things as he does concerning the Gods while he asperses the Deities as guilty of all humane Passions and loads 'em with those Vices which are seldom discours'd of less frequently committed by the worst of Men. And therefore though the Fable reports him to have perish'd by the fury of enrag'd Women yet the Epigram
Money he delivered the one half of his Gold to Megabyztes the Priest of Diana to keep till his Return but if he never came back for the consecration of a Statue to the Goddess Of the other half he sent a good part in Presents and Offerings to Delphos From thence he accompany'd Agesilaus into Greece being call'd home to command in the Theban War at what time the Lacedemonians kindly entertain'd him and afforded him all necessary Accommodations After that taking his leave of Agesilaus who retir'd to Scilluntes in the Territory of Elea not far distant from the City whither a certain ordinary Woman called Philesia as Dentetrius the Magnesian relates together with two Children Gryllus and Diodorus which were also said to be Twins as Dinarchus reports in his Book of Divorce against Xenophon Soon after Megabyzus coming to attend the public Solemnities of the Place he receiv'd his Money with which he purchased a piece of Land and consecrated the same to the Goddess lying upon the River Selenus which bare the same name with that which ran by the Walls of Ephâ—sus There he spent his time in Hunting feasting his Friends and writing Histories Though Dinarchus affirms that his House and Lands were the free gift of the Lacedemonians Philopidas also the Spartan sent him several Dardanian Captives of which he dispos'd as he thought fit himself At what time the Eleans marching against Scilluntes while the Lacedaemonians delay'd their assistance took the Country But then the Sons of Xenophon privately withdrew themselves with a small retinue and came to Lepreum Xenophon himself also first retir'd to Elis then to Lepreum to his Sons and thence all together getting safe to Corinth there settl'd themselves At the same time the Athenians having resolv'd to assist the Lacedaemonians he sent his Sons to Athens to serve in the Wars For they had been both bred up at Sparta as Diocles relates in his Lives of the Philosophers As for Diodorus he escap'd out of the Battel without performing any remarkable Atchievment But Gryllus serving among the Cavalry for it was at the Battle of Mantinea after he had behav'd himself with a more than ordinary courage dy'd valiantly in the Throng of his Enemies as Euphorus relates in the five and twentieth Book of his History Ctephisodotus then leading the Horse and Agesilaus commanding the Foot And the same Fate befalling the Theban General for Epaminondas was slain in the same fight It is reported That when the news of the defeat was brought to Xenophon he was then offering Sacrifices with a Crown upon his Head at what time when he heard that his Son Gryllus was slain he laid aside his Crown but afterwards finding by the continuance of the Relation that he had bravely fought and dy'd honourably he put on his Crown again Some report that he did not so much as shed a Tear only sigh'd out these words I know that my Son was not Immortal Aristotle also tells us That an infinite number of Persons wrote the Praises of Gryllus and bestow'd Epitaphs upon him partly to celebrate his Name and partly to gratifie his Father Hermippus moreover asserts That Socrates wrote an Encomium of Gryllus which Timon thus derides A sorry Duad or a Leash perhaps Of Doggrel Distichs he together scrapes To claw kind Xenophon or else to please His Friend and Scholar bawling Aeschines Xenophon flourish'd in the fourth year of the ninety fourth Olympiad and he accompany'd Cyrus in his Expedition at what time Xenaretus govern'd Athens a year before the death of Socrates He dy'd according to Stesiclides in his Epitome of the Archontes and Olympiaes in the first year of the hundred and fifth Olympiad during the Government of Callidemides at what time Philip the Son of Amyntas reign'd in Macedon And Demetrius the Magnesian affirms That he was far strick'n in years at the time of his decease A person of great Vertue and among his other Excellencies a great Lover of Horsemanship Hunting and Warlike Discipline as is manifest by his Writings He was very Religious a constant Offerer of Sacrifices one who was able to judge of Religion and an exact Emulator of Socrates in every thing He wrote about forty several Treatises the Ascent of Cyrus annexing a Prologue to every particular Book but not any to the Whole the Education of Cyrus the Transactions of the Greeks and several Commentaries his Symposium and Oeconomics He wrote also of Horsemanship and of Hunting an Apology for Socrates of Seeds Hiero or the Tyrant Agesilaus the Common-wealth of Athens and Lacedaemon Which latter Demetrius the Magnesian denies to be Xenophon's It is reported also that when it was in his power to have stifl'd the Works of Thucydides he was the first who made 'em public to the World for the honour of the Author He was call'd the Athenian Muse for the sweetness of his Style For which he was envy'd by Plato as we shall declare in his Life Nor could we our selves refrain his commendations in the following Epigrams By Cyrus call'd to assist his bold Ascent The valiant Xenophon not only went But back returning he so bravely fought As one that for Immortal honour sought Then writing his bold acts he plainly shew'd How much to Socrates his Valour ow'd Then this upon his Death Tho' Thee Great Xenophon thy Native Soil For Cyrus sake condemn'd to long Exile More kindly far by Corinth entertain'd A happy life thou lead'st where mildness reign'd In some other Authors I have read that he flourish'd about the Eighty ninth Olympiad together with the rest of the Socraetics On the other side Ister asserts that he was banish'd by the Decree of Eubulus but that afterwards the same person gave his Voice for his return home Of his name there were seven in all Himself the first The second an Athenian the Brother of Pythostratus who wrote a Poem entitl'd Theseis as also the Life of Epaminondas and Pelopidas The third was a Physician of Coos A fourth who compil'd the History of Hannibal The fifth a Collector of Fabulous Prodigies The sixth a Parian and a famous Statuary The seventh a writer of Comedies after the Ancient strain The LIFE of AESCHINES Aeschines an Athenian as some say was the Son of Charinus whose Trade it was to make Sawcidges as others assert of Lysanias industrious from his Infancy And therefore he never forsook Socrates Which occasion'd that saying of his Master The Sawcidge-makers Son is the only person that ever knew how to give us respect This was he as Idomeneus relates and not Crito who advis'd Socrates to make his escape out of Prison though Plato more a friend to Aristippus will have Crito to be the Author of that good Counsel However Aeschines was question'd for it and eagerly prosecuted by Menedemus the Eretrian because he had divulg'd several Dialogues under Socrates's name and which he pretended to have receiv'd from Xantippe Of which those that bear the Title of Acephali are very
half-penies Item Euclid the Stone-Cutter owes me three Minas Item I give Diana her Freedom Item I leave behind me Servants Tycho Bicta Apollonius and Dionysius Item Houshold-stuff and Vessels of which Demetrius has an Inventory I owe not a farthing to any Body His Executors were Sosthenes Speusippus Demetrius Higias Eurymedon Callimachus and Thrasippus This was the Copy of his Will. His Monument was adorn'd with several Epigrams and Encomiums of which this was the first If Modesty and Justice ever shin'd Conspicuously bright in mortal mind Here lies the Man Divine Aristocles Of all Men He if wisdom e'er could raise To Fame Immortal most deserves that Fame Which Malice ne'er could reach nor Envy blame Another thus Entomb'd in Earth here Plato's Body lyes Whose happy Soul Immortal Bliss enjoys Him honour'd all good Men no less desir'd In distant Regions than at home admir'd And well might he deserve most high applause That liv'd so truly up to Nature's Laws And this other of somewhat a later date Say Queen of Birds when soaring starry height Whose Tomb it was o're which thou took'st thy flight Or didst thou soar so high to take a view What blest Immortals in their Mansions do I was the Soul of Plato once below But now to answer your Inquiry know The Soul of Plato to Olympus flies Whose Body here in native Athens lies To which we shall add another of our own Had not Apollo to the Grecians kind To Plato's Wit his God-like Art resign'd Where had we found a cure for Human Souls For as Asclepius by his skill controuls The various pains invading humane kind 'T is only Plato who can heal the Mind Together with this upon his Death Phoebus on Mortal's happiness intent To Mortals Plato and Asclepius sent The one in health our Bodies to assure The other our diseased minds to cure At last upon the confines of his life Designing the brisk pleasures of a Wife To Jove's own consecrated ground he came And City rear'd of old to Phoebus Name Where to his Master he his Art resign'd But left his Physic of the Soul behind His Disciples and Followers were Speusippus the Athenian Xenocrates the Chalcedonian Aristotle the Stagarite Philip of Opus Hestiaeus the Printhian Dio of Syracuse Amyclus the Heracleote Erastus and Coriscus both Skepsians Timolaus of Cyzicum Enaeon of Lampsacus Pytho and Heraclides both of Aenea Callippus the Athenian Demetrius of Amphipolis Heraclides of Pontus and several others Together with these he had also two Female Disciples Lesthenia of Mantinea and Axiothea a Phthiasian which latter as Dicearchus relates always went in Man's Apparel Theophrastus also is said to have been one of his Hearers together with Hyperides the Rhetorician Chamaeleon adds Lycurgus and Polemo Lycurgus Sabinus also in his fourth Book of the subject of Meditation affirms Menesistratus the Thasian to have been another of his Admirers which is very probable Now then being well assur'd of thy great affection for Plato not undeservedly bestow'd and with what a zealous enquiry thou seek'st to make a compleat Collection of all the Opinions of this famous Philosopher I thought it expedient to set 'em down according to the nature of the Discoutses the order of the Dialogues and the method of Exposition as it were reduc'd under several Heads and Chapters to the end there may be nothing omitted materially conducing to the story of his Life Otherwise knowing to whom I write to be more curious and particular than is requisite would be only according to the Proverb To carry an Owl to Athens Now therefore Zeno of Elea is reported to have been the first Composer of Dialogues Though Aristotle in his first Book of the Poets asserts Alexamenus the Styrean or according to Phavorinus the Teian to have been the first that wrote in that manner However in my judgmentâ— Plato was the first who polish'd that way of writing and brought it to perfection So that not only the adorning part but the invention it self may be justly attributed to him A Dialogue then is a discourse by way of Question and Answer upon the subjects either of Politics or Philosophy consisting of decent and apt expressions of the Persons introduc'd and a Methodical Composition of the whole Logic is the Art of Ratiocination by which we refute or confirm by Questions and Answers between the persons that dispute Now then there are two sorts of Platonic Ratiocination the one for Instruction the other for Enquiry The first of which is again divided into Speculative and Practical and the Speculative into Physical or Natural and Logical and the Practical into Ethical and Political Of inquisitive Ratiocination there are also two sorts the one Gymnastic which consists in Exercise the other Agonistic which consists in Contest and Dispute Gymnastic is also twofold Maieutic which nurses and fosters the first Rudiments of Science the other when it begins to feel its own strength and is call'd Peirastic as attempting upon the score of its own ability Agonistic also is distinguish'd into Demonstrative and Perswasive True it is there are others who make a quite different division of Plato's Dialogues for some they call Dramatic others Diegematic and others Mixt. But that distinction is more proper for a Stage than a Philosophers School More particularly therefore there are some of Plato's Dialogues that treat of Physics as Timaeus others of Logic as Politicus Cratylus Parmenides and the Sophist Others of Morality as the Apology Crito Phaedo Phaedias the Symposium Menexenus Clitophon his Epistles Philelebus Hipparchus and Anterastae others of Politics as his Commonwealth his Laws Minos Epinomis and his Atlanticus Of the Rudiments of Learning The two Alcibiades's Theages Lysis Laches Of the first Attempts to Practise Euthyphron Menon Ion Charmides Thetaetus Of Demonstration Protagoras of Perswasion Ethydemus the two Hippiae and Gorgias Now because there is a very hot Contention among Writers while some affirm Plato to be the Author of new Opinions others deny it let us a little consider how it stands A Dogmatist is properly said to be such a Person who starts a new Opinion as he is said to be a Legislator that introduces new Laws Now the Dogma is said to indifferently either the thing about which the Opinion is raised or the Opinion it self The thing about which the Opinion is raised is called the Proposition But the opinion is called the Supposition Plato therefore whatever he apprehends to be true those things he expounds and refutes what he believes to be false Concerning his own Sentiments he discourses under the Persons of Socrates Timaeus His Athenian Guest and the Stranger of Elea. Which Strangers were not as some Conjecture Plato and Parmenides but fictitious and anonymous Persons When he quotes the words of Socrates and Timaus then he Dogmatizes or asserts some new Opinion of his own When he refutes those things which he believes to be false he introduces Thrasymachus Callicles Polus Gorgias Protagoras Hippias
in his various History he died in a Litter upon the Road where Antigonus himself was coming to meet him and bear him Company However after his Death we displayed him to the World in these nipping Verses of our own Bion the Man whom Soythian Earth On Borysthenian Banks gave Birth When he all herds of Sects had tryed The Gods themselves at last denied In which if fix'd I would presage Him Virtuoso of his Age. But long he could not thus persist An Accident dispers'd the Mist And made him surcease to pursue Thoughts surely false tho' seeming true A lingring Sickness on him seiz'd And neither Drink nor Diet pleas'd His Sight grown dim and short his Breath sure Symptoms of approaching Death He that the Gods call'd Sons of Whores with Prayers and Tears their aid implores He that at sight of Temples smil'd And scornfully their Rites revil'd With Superstition now oregrown No Zeal can please him like his own Their Altars oft by him despis'd With adoration now are priz'd With far-fetch'd Gums and rich Perfumes To expiate his Guilt presumes Such strange Effects works Big ot Fear Now Godâ— can Smell as well as Hear His Neck stoops down to bear whole loads Of Old Wives Charms and parched Toads His wrists the Philter'd Bracelet binds And strong Perswasion Reason Blinds White-Thorn and Laurel deck his Gates Vncertain Spells for certain Fates A thousand Tricks he 'd gladly try Rather than once submit to dye Confounded Sot to take such Pain To fashion Gods for thine own Gain As if that Gods must then be made Only when Bion wants their Aid All this too late when parch'd to Cole And nothing left but only Soul Nothing remains for thee to do But the Infernal God to woe And he no doubt will make thee room When thou shalt cry Great Bion's come We find that there were ten Bions in all the first was a Proconnesian in the time of Pherecydes the Syrian of whose Writing we have ten Treatises The second was a Syracusian who wrote a tract of Rhetoric The third was he whose Life we have exposed The fourth was an Abderite a follower of Democritus who wrote of the Mathematics in the Attic and Ionic Dialect and the first who affirm'd that there were Regions where there was six Months of Day and six Months Night together The fifth was a Native of Soli who wrote the Ethiopic History The sixth was a Rhetorician of whose Writings we have nine Books every one under the name of a particular Muse The seventh was a Lyric Poet. The eighth a Statuary of Miletum of whom Polemo makes mention the ninth a Tragic Poet of the number of those whom we call Tarsicks And the tenth a Statuary of Clazomenia or Chio of whom Hipponax makes mention THE LIFE OF LACYDES LACYDES a Native of Cyrene was the Son of Alexander Head of the new Academy succeeding Arcesilaus a Person certainly of an exquisite severity and one that had a number of Scholars that followed his Precepts From his Youth he was much addicted to study but very Poor which made him the more complaisant and delightful in Conversation 'T is reported that he had a custom to fix his Seal upon the Keyhole of his Buttery and then threw the Ring into the Buttery again through a small slit in the Door that no Body might get to his Victuals but himself Which his Servants observing did the same as he did for they took off the Seal stole his Meat then fixing the Impression of his Seal upon the Lock threw the Key into the Buttery again which little Theft though they frequently practised yet could they never be caught But now Lacydes being Head of the new Academy retired to the Garden which King Attalus caused to be made where he set up his School and call'd it Lacydion from his own Name He was the only Person who in his Life surrendered the Charge of his School to another for they report that he turned it over to two Phoceans Teleclus and Evander to whom succeeded Hegesinus a Pergamenian and from Hegesinus Carneades The chiefest of his Repartees were these Attalus sent for him one day to come to him to whom he returned for answer That Images were to be view'd afar off To one that check'd another for studying Geometry in his old Age and crying to him Is this a time to be learning Lacydes replied When wouldst thou have him learn then after he is Dead As to his death he ended his days presently after he was made chief of the School which was in the fourth Year of the Hundred thirty fourth Olympiad after he had spent six and twenty Years in the Schools He died of a Palsy which he got with excessive Drinking Which was the reason we gave him the following Epigram All the report about the Country goes Friend Lacydes how Bacchus bound thy toes And haul'd thee bound to Hells infernal Gate Where then he left thee overcharg'd in Pate What Riddle 's this for Riddle it must be When chearful Wine sets all the Members free That 's the Mistake for Bacchus did not bind him He only found him bound and so resign'd him The LIFE of CARNEADES CARNEADES the Son of Epicomus or according to Alexander in his Book of Successions the Son of Philocomus was a native of Cyrene He diligently employed his time in reading the Books of Speusippus and other Stoics which having done he was not readily drawn to consent to their opinions though if he were constrained to oppose 'em he did it with all the Modesty imaginable as he that was wont to say unless Chrysippus were I could not be He was wonderfully studious more especially in moral Philosophy for of natural Philosophy he made no great reckoning Nay he was so intent at his Study that he would not allow himself leisure to Comb his hair and pair his Nails So that at length his Discourses were so Sinewy in matters of Philosophy that the Orators flocked from all parts to his School on purpose to hear him Besides he had a very strong and sonorous Voice insomuch that the head of the Colledge sent to him not to speak so loud to whom he sent word that he should send him a Measure for his Voice upon which the Principal replied that Carneades had answered wisely and to the purpose For that the Auditory was the measure that set Bounds to the Voice However he was a violent Man and almost insupportable in his Disputes and therefore never cared to appear at great Meetings and Festivals It happened that Mentor a Bithynian fell in Love with his Concubine as Phavorinus in his Miscellanies reports which made him so angry that he could not refrain to give him a sharp Reprimand in the following Verses Within these Walls I see a Letcheroâ—â— Knave An old decripit fornicating Slave So like to Mentor both in Speech and Chins That they who saw 'em both would swear 'em Twins Him good for nothing but to play the
be a King he acknowledg'd the VVords with this Proviso if he were not wise For said he if Ptolomy be such a manner of Person I shall say he is a King much more He wrote several Pieces under several Titles Of the World of the Elements of Seed of Fortune of Atoms against Atoms and Idols of the Sences Upon the Discourses of Heraclitus of Moral Institutions of Duty of Natural Inclination of Perturbations of Regal Government of the Lacedaemon of Lycurgus and Socrates of Law of Divination of Amorous Dialogues of the Eretriac Philosophers of Things alike of Definitions of Habit of Contradictions of Riches Honour Death of the Art of Logic of Predicaments Amphibologies and Epistles The LIFE of CHRYSIPPVS CHRYSIPPVS the Son of Apollonius of Soli or rather Tarsus according to Alexander in his Successions was the Disciple of Cleanthes At first he taught Gentlemen to handle their Weapons but after that became the Disciple of Zeno or as Diocles reports of Cleanthes rather whom he also forsook in his Life-time Nor was he a mean Person in Philosophy as being endu'd with profound Parts and a most sharp Wit so that he differ'd from Zeno and Cleanthes himself in many things to whom he would often say that he only wanted the Doctrinal Part for the Demonstrative Part he would find it out himself Yet when he wrote against Cleanthes would often check himself and repeat the following Lines Were it another I would boast my Art But to oppose Cleanthes breaks my Heart He was so Famous a Logician that many said of him If the Gods wanted Logic they would make Vse of none but his Nevertheless though he abounded so much in Matter yet was he not soready at Expression but that he was very laborious his Writings testifie to the Number of Seventy five Treatises So voluminous in his Invention that he wrote several times upon the same Subject setting down whatever came into his Mind and then making Alterations again and beside all this so full of Quotations that having inserted the whole Tragedy of Medea by Euripides into one of his Pieces and another who had the Book in his Hand was ask'd what he was reading He reply'd Chrysippus's Medea Apollodorus the Athenian also going about to prove that Epicurus by the strength of his own Parts had written much more then ever Chrysippus wrote has this Expression For says he if any one should take out of Chrysippus ' s Works that which is none of his own there would be a world of Blank Paper However as Diocles reports a certain Old Woman who was either his Governess or his Nurse assur'd several of his Friends that he was wont to write five hundred Verses every Day To all which Hecato adds That he then fell to the Study of Philosophy when he had spent all his Estate in the King's Service He was a little spare-Body'd Man as appears by his Statue in the Ceramicum where he is hardly to be seen for the Statue of the Horseman that stands next him Which was the Reason that Carneades call'd him Krypsippus instead of Chrysippus And when it was thrown in his Dish that he did not Exercise with the rest that were a great many at Aristo's House Marry said he if I should keep many Company I should ne re be a Philosopher To Cleanthes his Logic lying before him and full of little Sophisms he us'd this Expression by way of Prosopopoea Forbear said he to entice a Young Man from more weighty Thoughts Moreover if any Person came to ask him a Question he always endeavour'd to satisfie in private the best he could but when he saw a Crowd coming to him then he would presently fall a repeating those Verses of Euripides in his Orestes Cousin I know th' art troubl'd at the sight Yet lay thy Passion by while thou art sober When he drank hard he lay very quiet but that he would be always moving his Thighs which the Servant-Maid observing was wont to say That never any Part of Chrysippus was fuddl'd but his Hips On the other side he had such an invincible high Conceit of himself that being ask'd by a certain Person Whom he should make Use of as a Tutor for his Son My self said he for if I thought that any other Man excell'd me in Philosophy I would my self become his Scholar And therefore it was said of him He 's the wise Man but shadows all the rest Of that same Thing for which they so contest And again Wer 't not but that Chrysippus's Renown Vpholds it soon the Stoa would fal down At length when Arcesilaus and Lacydes came into the Academy he associated with Them. For which Reason contrary to Custom he labour'd in Defence of it and in his Disputes of Magnitude and Multitude made Use of the Arguments of the Academics At length as he was busily employ'd in the Odeion a Public Place in Athens as Hermippus reports he was invited by his Scholars to a Sacrifice at what time upon his drinking of new sweet Wine he was taken with a Dizziness in his Head and the Fifth day after expir'd in the Twenty third Olympiad after he had liv'd Seventy three Years Fuddl'd Chrysippus a Vertigo took What car'd he then for Stoa or his Book For Country or for Soul All went to rack So to th' Abyss he pac'd the common Track Some say he expir'd in an excessive Fit of Laughter for that seeing an â—ss eat Figs he bid his old Woman give him some new Wine to his Meat Which when the Ass tippl'd with that Freedom as he did it put him into such an extream Laughter that he expir'd in the midst of his Mirth He seem'd to have been a great Contemner of other Men for that of all his numerous Volumes he never made the least Dedication to any Prince contenting himself only with the Society of a little Old Woman as Demetrius records of him in his Homonynia Also when Demetrius sent to Cleanthes an Invitation either to come to him himself or send another Sphaerus was sent for that Chrysipus refus'd to go But associating with himself his Sisters Sons Aristocreon and Philocrates with a handsom Train of other Disciples he was the first that presum'd to teach in the Lycaeum in the open Ayr as the foremention'd Demetrius testifies There was also another Chrysippus a Gnidian and a Physician by whom Erasistratus acknowledges that he profited very much And another who was Son to the former and Physician to Ptolomy who upon an Accusation brought against him was first ignominiously whipp'd and then put to Death Another that was the Disciple of Erasistratus and one more that was a Writer of Georgies But now to return to our Philosopher he was wont to put such Arguments as these upon several Persons He that divulges the Sacred Mysteries to Prophane Persons is himself impious but Hierophantus discloses the Sacred Mysteries to those that are not initiated therefore Hierophantus is an impious
Dionysius of whom he makes mention in his Anterastae and he perform'd his Wrestling Exercises under Aristo of Argos by whom for his lovely Shape and Proportion he was called Plato whereas before he had been nam'd Aristocles from the name of his Grandfather as Alexander relates in his Successions Though â—thers will have him to be so call'd from his broad manner of Pronunciation or else from the breadth of his fore-head according to Neanthes Others report him to have been a great Wrestler at the Isthmian Games among whom was Dicaearchus in his Book of Lives also that he was addicted to Painting and Poetry and that first he wrote Dithyrambies afterwards Odes and Tragedies His voice was but shrill and somewhat effeminate as Timotheus the Athenian relates of him in his Book of Lives It is reported that Socrates should dream that a Cygnet newly hatch'd came and sate down upon his knees and that the wings of the Bird growing out of a sudden she flew away sweetly singing in her flight The next day Plato being brought to him by his Father he cry'd out This is the Bird which I dreamt of He began to divulge his Philosophy first in the Academy then in the Garden adjoyning to Colonus as Alexander relates from the Testimony of Heraclitus Then resolving a contest in Tragedy before the Dionysian Theatre after he had heard Socrates he threw his Poems in the fire crying out Hast Vulcan hithâ—â— Plato wants thy aid And from that time forward being then twenty years of age he became a Hearer of Socrates After whose decease he stuck to Cratylus the Disciple of Heraclitus and Hermogenes who maintain'd the Philosophy of Parmenides When he arriv'd at eight and twenty years of age according to Hermodorus together with some other Socratics he betook himself to Megara where he admir'd and follow'd Euclid from whence he departed for Cyrene to hear Theodorus the Mathematician and from thence he travell'd into Italy to the Pythagoreans Philolaus and Eurytus Thence into Aegypt where he associated with the Priests and Prophets whither it is also reported that Enripides accompany'd him and falling sick was by the Priests cured with a Salt-water Medicine which occasion'd that verse of his The briny Ocean scoures away All the Distempers that on Mortals prey Moreover with Homer he affirm'd that all the Egyptians were Physicians Plato had also design'd to have visited the Magi but the Wars breaking forth in Asia forc'd him to desist from his purpose Returning therefore to Athens he continu'd in the Academy This was a pleasant place in the Suburbs shaded with Trees and so call'd from a certain Hero whose name was Academus of whom Eupolis makes mention in his Astrateuti In those delightful shades the sweet abode Of Academus now a Semi-God And Timon also speaking of Plato thus writes But above all was Plato still allow'd To be the Captain of the Charming Croud Upon his Lips the Charms of Eloquence In Clusters hung sweet words and sublime Sence More tunefâ—l notes ne'er chirp'd the Grass-hoppers In Hecademian Groves to list'ning Ears For in those Groves was Plato wont to sing Out-charming all the Music of the Spring For formerly the same place was call'd Hecademia with an Epsilon That our Philosopher was a friend to Isocrates appears also from hence for that Polyxenus has committed to writing a certain discourse concerning the Poets that happen'd while Isocrates continu'd with Plato at his Country-House And Aristoxenus farther asserts that he was three times a Souldier once in the Expedition to Tanagra a second time in the War with Corinth and lastly at the Delian Conflict when he won the Victory He made a mixture of the Opinions of the Heraclitans the Pythagoreans and the Socratics and as to those things which appertain'd to the sense he held with Heraclitus where the understanding was concern'd he adher'd to Pythagoras but in Ethics and Politics he follow'd Socrates Some there are and among the rest Satyrus who affirm that he sent into Sicily to Dio a hundred Minas to purchase of Philolaus three Pythagorical Books for his own use For he was then full of money having receiv'd from Dionysius above fourscore Talents as Onetor testifies in his Treatise entitl'd Whether a Wise Man should be Rich. For many other things he was also beholding to Epicharmus the Comedian most of whose Writings he transcrib'd as Alcimus assures us in his Books that he wrote to Amyntas which are four in number In the first of which he runs on in these words It is apparent says he that Plato took many things out of Epicharmus As for Example Sensible says Plato is that which never continues permanent either in Quality or Quantity but is also perpetually flowing and lyable to the inconstancy of Change. As if we should substract Number out of those things which are neither equal nor such nor subjected to Quantity or Quality And these are such things of which there is a continual Generation but never any Substance Intelligible is that which neither encreases or diminishes And this is the nature of things Sempiternal as being always alike and ever the same That the Soul did apprehend some things by the Help of the Body as it happen'd in Seeing and Hearing but that for the understanding of other things she needed no assistance of Corporeal Organs as being endu'd with a sufficient Penetration of her self Which is the reason that Plato from Epicharmus affirms That they who have a desire to collect the Beginnings and Principles of the Whole must first make a distribution of the several Ideas by themselves as Likeness Vnity Multitude Magnitude Rest and Motion In the next place he ought to consider Honest Good and Just every one by themselves Thirdly It behoves him to compare the Ideas one with another and observe which have the truest Agreement and Correspondence one with another as Knowledge Magnitude and Dominion â— As likewise whether those things which are existing in our selves in regard that we partake of their Qualities are Homonymous to those other things For example just things are those that partake of Justice honest that partake of Honesty Now every Species is Eternal and the understanding in reference to these things is void of all Perturbation And therefore the Ideas subsist in Nature like so many Exemplars But as for those other things which are like to these they subsist according to their nearest resemblance to the other And therefore Epicharmus discourses of Good and of Ideas in this manner Can playing on the Flute be said to be any thing Most surely Why then playing upon the Flute is a Man. Not so neither Go too then Dost not thou think a player upon a Flute to be a Man Most certainly And does not the same Argument hold concerning Good This is Good that is the Thing which he who studies by it self shall become Good. For as he that pipes is call'd a Piper he that dances a Dancer so whoever he be that
learns any other Art or Mystery is not call'd the Art it self but the Artificer that professes it Plato in his Treatise of Ideas thus reasons If there be such a thing as Memory the Ideas have their Being in the several Entities in regard the memory relates to something that is sedate and permanent For how adds he could living Creatures be preserv'd had they not annex'd to themselves their several Ideas or if they were not endu'd with the Natural Intelligence Now they carry in their memories their Similitude and the nourishment whatever it be which is proper to every one Which shews that the Contemplation of Similitude is inherent to all Creatures by Natural Instinct By which means they understand themselves to be of the same kind Moreover Epicharmus asserts That wisdom does not predominate altogether in one kind but that all living Creatures have a certain Sence and Notion of themselves And thus if we first observe the Hen she does not bring forth live Chick'ns but first she lays the Eggs then sits and enlivens her young ones with her natural Heat Now this is a sort of Wisdom which only nature infuses and teaches Therefore it is no wonder that all Creatures associate with their Like and think their Productions fairest For a Dogg is to a Dog most beautiful the Cow to the Cow the Ass to the Ass and Swineherd together as admiring their own kind above all others These and several other Passages of this nature are recited by Alcimus in his four Books to shew how much Plato was indebted to Epicharmus Now that Epicharmus was not ignorant of Plato's ingenuity may be conjectur'd from hence that he does as it were prophesie that he would be his Emulator in these words I am of opinion says he nay more I am well confirm'd such will be the remembrance of my Words and Sentences that some one person or other will entertain 'em in this rude dress and attiring 'em in more pompous Colours will himself insuperable become a Victor over many others Moreover there is good reason to believe that Plato was the first who brought the writings of Sophron the Mimic into Athens and fram'd his own Gestures and Postures from thence for that the Books were found under his Pillow He made three Voyages into Sicily the first only to see the Island and the Rarities that made it famous when Dionisius the Tyrant and Son of Hermocrates compell'd him to a Conference At what time when he discours'd concerning Tyranny and alledg'd That what was profitable to him alone made little or nothing for his advantage unless he excell'd in vertue the Tyrant growing angry Thou talk'st said he like an old doating Fool To whom Plato And thou like a Tyrant Which so enrag'd the Potentate that he was about to have put him to Death but altering his resolution at the Intercession of Dio and Aristomenes he gave him to Polis then Ambassador from the Lacedaemonians to sell him for a Slave who carry'd him to Aegina and there sold him At what time Charmander the Son of Charmandrides prosecuted him for his Life having indicted him upon a Statute in force among the Islanders That the first Athenian that landed in the Island should dye without mercy But upon the saying of some body though by way of a jeer that he was a Philosopher he was dismiss'd Others affirm that he was brought into Court where being observ'd not to speak a word in his own defence but stand as one couragiously resolv'd to suffer whatever happen'd they determin'd not to kill him but to sell him as a Captive taken in War. When by good fortune Aniceris the Cyrenean being then in the City redeem'd him for twenty as others say thirty Minas and sent him back to Athens among his Friends who immedintely remitted the Money back to Aniceris But he refus'd to take it saying withal That they were not the only persons that were worthy to take care of Plato Others say that Dio sent the money to Aniceris which he refus'd to make any other use of than for the purchace of a little Garden for himself in the Academy As for Polis he was overthrown by Chabrias and afterwards drown'd in the River Helice at what time a certain Daemon appear'd to him and told him he suffer'd those misfortunes for the Philosopher's sake as Phavorinus reports in his Commentaries Nor could Dionysius be at rest but understanding what had befallen him he wrote to Plato desiring him not to reproach him with what he had done To whom Plato return'd for answer That he had not so much leisure as to think of Dionysius His second Voyage was to the younger Dionysius of whom he requested a parcel of Land and a certain number of People to live under such a Common-wealth as he should Erect Which though Dionysius promis'd him he never was so good as his word More than that as some say he had like to have run the hazard of his life for tampering with Dio and Theotas to recover the former liberty of the Island at what time Archytas the Pythagorean in an Epistle to Dionysius clearing him of that suspicion sav'd him from the danger so that he was sent back to Athens The purport of which Epistle was this Archytas to Dionysius ALl of us here who are Plato's friends have sent to thee Lamiscus and Photidas desiring thee to restore his Person to us for the sake of that Ancient friendship that is between us Suffer him therefore to return for thou wilt do well to call to mind how earnestly thou didst invite him to thy Court which was the reason that we importun'd him to take the Voyage upon thy promise that he should have free liberty to come and go Remember therefore how much thou didst desire his coming and the high esteem thou then hadst of him If there have been any Errour or Mistake committed shew thy humanity and restore him to us untouch'd So shalt thou do justly and gratifie thy Friends The third Voyage he made was to reconcile Dionysius to Dio. But not prevailing he return'd home again where he refus'd to meddle with publick business though a great States-man as his writings declare Of which the main reason was because he found the People had been long accustom'd to Laws and Constitutions that did not correspond with his frame of Government Pamphile also relates that the Arcadians and Thebans built a large City which when they had finish'd they sent for Plato to be their Lawgiver and to prescribe 'em a Form of a Common-wealth but then understanding that they hated Equality he refus'd to go It is reported that he follow'd Chabrias the General when he fled from Condemnation at what time all the rest of his fellow Citizens declin'd his adversity And when Cobryas the Sycophant upbraided him as he accompany'd the General up into the Castle telling him That he should not be so forward to help others but do well to mind the t'other of Socrates's
all the other Sciences and will have it to have a double End that is to say Truth and Probability Each of which is of some principal use to the two faculties For the use of Rhetoric and Logic tends to Probability Philosophy and Analytics to Truth Moreover he has omitted nothing of that which appertains either to Invention or Judgment or to the use of either for he sets before Invention a great number of Propositions from whence by way of Method and common Places an infinite number of probable Arguments may he drawn for every Question In reference to Judgment he has wrote his first and second Analytics The first to shew how to make a right Judgment of the Agreement of one Proposition with another and the latter to examine the Consequences of them by collecting what went before and what followed after As to the use of things which are in Controversy and under dispute either among the Logicians or the Sophisters he has shewn how to satisfy the Arguments as well of the one as the other He holds that Sence is the Rule upon which the Judgment of Truth relies as to actions that are in the Imagination But that the Judgment is the rule of Truth in reference to the Moral Vertues whether in relation to public or domestic affairs or in the Composition and making of Laws He proposes the use of Vertue in a perfect Life to be the end of all Mens Living He holds Felicity to be an Assemblage of three things really beneficial of that which depends upon the Soul which is the best and most powerful of that which proceeds from the Body as Health Strength Beauty and the like and lastly upon that which is grounded upon outward Conveniences as Riches Nobility Reputatation and the like which depend upon Fortune But that Vice is sufficient of it self to render Life miserable though accompanied with all outward and Corporeal Conveniences That a wiâ—â— Man might be miserable being afflicted sometimes with Pain sometimes with Poverty and sometimes with other Inconveniences That the Vertues do not depend one upon another For it may happen says he that a Man may be Prudent and Just and yet addicted to Intemperance and Incontinency That a wise Man can never be wholly exempt from Passions but only he may be able to govern 'em with more Moderation than another That Friendship is the Reciprocal Justice of good-will of which he makes three sorts of Parents of Lovers of Hospitality That Love does not only concern the Conversation of other Men but of Philosophers for says he a Wise Man may love as well as another mind the public affairs marry a Wife and live with a King. And lastly having established three several manners of Living the first in Contemplation the second in Action and the third in Pleasure he always preferred Contemplation before the rest He held that the Knowledge of the liberal Arts was of little Importance toward the attaining of Vertue There never was any Philosopher who 〈…〉 diligently enquired into the causes of Natural things than he so that he was able to give a Reason for the smallest thing that could be asked him and hence it was that he wrote so many Commentaries concerning natural Things He asserted with Platâ— that God was incorporeal and immoveable whose providence did not pass beyond the limits of the Colestial Bodies with which all terreâ—… things agreed and were disposed by Syâ—â—pâ—â—hy That there was a fifth Element which gives being to the Heavenly Bodies whose Motion iâ— different from that of the other four Elements of which the inferiour World was composed For that the Motion of this Element was circular â—â—d theirs in a right â—ine Also that the Soul is incorporeal and the first Entelechy of an Organick Natural Body having Life in Pâ—… Now you are to understand that he calls Entelechy an incorporeal Nature which imparts to the Corporeal power to move it self of which he makes two sorts the one Potential the other in Effect That which is in Potentiâ— is manifest in a thing that is not but may be aâ— a piece of Wax or a great â—ingot of Copper of which there may be made an Image or Statue of Marble by shaping the Wax or giving Lineaments to the Brass But that which is in the Effect is manifest in the thing it self which is already finished and perfected as Wax or Copper when wrought or cast into a Statue He adds Natural Bodies because there are some Bodies that are either wrought by the Hand as are all the Manifactures of Artisans as a Tower or a Ship or else others that are produced from the Earth as Plants and Animals Farther he adds Organic that is designed and prepared for some design as the Eye to see the Ear to hear Lastly he adds having Life in Potentia For Potentiality being less than the Effect always preceeds Action in every thing but the Effect cannot be without Action As for Example a Man that sleeps is enlivened with a Soul in Poâ—tentia but he that wakes is animated with a Soul in Act for he sees and understands such and such things which he that is a sleep does not do though he has a power so to do Such were his Philosophical Reasonings concerning these and many other things which would be here too long to recite For he was so Laborious and Industrious in all things and so acute in finding out Arguments for his Discourses that it was a thing almost incredible as may be seen by the great number of Volumes which we have already number'd up exceeding in all four hundred Volumes together with several others and an infinite Number of Sentences though I question whether all that are ascribed to him be his own In the last place we find that there were eight Aristotles The first the Great Philosopher himself A second formerly chief Magistrate of Athens Several of whose Orations or Judicial Pleadings very neat and elegant are extant to this day A third who Transcrib'd Homer's Iliads A fourth a Sicilian Orator who wrote an Answer to the Panegyric of Isocrates The fifth Sirnamed Mythus a Companion of Eschines the Socratic The sixth of Cyrene who wrote a Book of Poetry The seventh a Paedagogue of whom Aristoxenus makes mention in Plato's Life The last a Grammarian of little Esteem Of whose writing there is extant a small Treatise of Pleonâ—sm But as for the Stagyrian Philosopher he had several Disciples among whom Theophrastus was the chiefest and whose Life we are therefore next to write The LIFE of THEOPHRASTVS THEOPHRASTVS an Etesian was the Son of Metantâ—s a Fuller as Artemidorus reports in his Eighteenth Book of Deambulations He was first a Hearer of Leâ—cippâ—s his Countryman and in the same City afterwards he went to Athens and heard Plato and at length rang'd himself in the number of Aristotle's Scholars to whom he succeeded in the Government of his School after he had withdrawn himself to Chalcâ—â— which was about the
Redemption and order him a Legacy of four Mina's beside I give Micros his Freedom and recommend him to Lyco to instruct him for six Years I also give Chares his Freedom and order him his Being with Lyco two Mina's in Silver and all the rest of my Books except those which I never yet made publick which I recommend to Callinus to publish Moreover let Syrus my free'd Man have four Mina's and Menodora for his Servant-Maid and if he owe me any more I freely discharge him I give also five Mina's to Hilaras a sâ—â—ag Carpet two Pillows a figur'd Coverlet and a Bed such a one as she shall make choice of I also enfranchise the Mother of Micros Noemo Dio Theâ— Euphrano and Hermyas As for Agatho I do not think it fit that he have his Freedom these two Years And as for my Litter-Carriers Ophelio and Possidonius let them stay four Years longer before they be set at Liberty Moreover my Will is That Demetrius Crito and Syrus have each of them a Bed and one of my old Suits such as Lyco shall think most Convenient As for the place of my Burial let Lyco consider whether he will bury me here or in my House for I am assur'd that he knows what is decent and comely as well as my self And thus let him execute the Contents of my Will and all the rest is his own The witnesses to this Will were Callinus the Hermionean Aristo of Chios and Euphronius the Peanian He shewed himself in all his Actions that appertained either to Learning or the Study of Human Things so wise that his Prudence did not only extend it self to what was before his Eyes but also to provide so well by his Will for all his Affairs that he deserves to be a Pattern for every one to imitate The LIFE of DEMETRIVS DEMETRIVS the Son of Phâ—nostratus was a Native of Phalera and Hearer of Theophrastus But being a great pleader of Causes at Atheni he got into that Credit by means of his Parts that he was called to the Government of the City where he continued in the first rank of Dignity for ten whole Years during which time there were erected three Hundred and sixty Statues in his Honour the most part of which were on Horseback or drawn by Chariots with two Horses a-breast and all finished in ten Months He began to be engag'd in publick Business as Demetrius the Magnesian testifies in his Equivocals at what time Harpalus came to Athens flying the sight of Alexander He discharged the Trust reposed in him to a wonder and held it a long time to the great advantage of his Fellow-Citizens For tho' at the beginning of his Government he was not overmuch advanced in Honour and Wealth however he left his City much wâ—â—lthier in Revenue and adorned with sumptuous Buildings He was descended as Phavorinus reports from one of the most noble Families in the City that is to say from that of the Canons and as the same Author asserts in the second of his Commentaries he had a she Friend whose name was Lamia that was at his Service but that he had suffered under Cleo that which was neither for his Honour nor Modesty Moreover Didymus recounts that a certain Curtezan called him Charito-Bleâ—â—arus that is to say Charmer of Ladies and that another called him Lampetes as a great boaster of his Abilities to please Women 'T is reported that he fell blind at Alexandria but that Serapis restor'd him his Sight in praise of whom he wrote several Hymns such as they sing now at this time However being in so much Credit among the Athenians he could not avoid the assaults of Envy to which all Men in high Degree are obnoxious So that after he had escaped the Snares of some of his Maligners he was at length in his absence condemned to Death Nevertheless as Providence had ordered it they could not seize his Person and therefore like Madmen exercised their Rage upon his Statues some of which they threw in the Dirt sold others and buried several in the Sea besides a great number that were broken and spoil'd except one that was overlooked in the Castle This the Athenians did by the Command of King Demetrius as Phavorinus testifies in his various History Nor was this all for us the same Phavorinus relates they accused him of Irreligion in the Administration of the Government Moreover Hermippus relates that he withdrew himself after Cassander was put to Death and sheltered himself with Ptolemy Soter for fear of Antigonus and that after he had continued there a long time he advised the King among other things to declare his Children by his Wife â—â—rydice his Successors but the King rejecting his Counsel bequeath'd his Diadem to a Son that he had by Berenice which was the Reason that after his Fathers Death he kept Demetrius close in the Province where he spent the remainder of his days in a miserable Condition He dyed as it were in his Sleep being bit in the hand by an Asp as he lay slumbring and was buried in the Province of Busiritis near Diospolis and we made him the following Epigram As wise Demetrius slumbring lay An Aspiâ— to his Hand made way The Venom flew and thus by â—apping One little Vein Death caught him napping As for the Counsel which he gave the King in his Epitome of the successions of Sotion it diverted Ptolemy from his design of leaving the Kingdom to Philadelphus upon this account for said he If thou giv'st it the other thou wilt never enjoy it thy self However it were this is certain that Mâ—nandâ—r the Comic Poet was accused at Atheus upon this particular Point so that he narrowly escaped his being Condemned to Death for no other Reason but because he had been Demetrius's Friend But Telesphorus Son in Law to Demetrius made it his Business to clear him of that Imputation He exceeded in number of Books and Verses all the Peripatetics of his Age. Which Works of his were part Poetry part History partly of Government and partly concerning Rhetoric To which we may add his Speeches and Orations as well at the Council-Table as when employed in foreign Embassies To give ye then a Catalogue of his Writings They were these Five Books of Laws two of the Citizens of Athens one of Laws two of Rhetoric two of military Discipline two of the Iliads four of the Odysses one of a Republic one of an Employment for ten Years one of the Ionians one of Embassies one of Fidelity one of Favour one of Fortune one of Magnificence one of Laws one of Marriage one of Obstacles one of Peace one of Studies one of time one of Antiphanes one of Time Topics one one of Sentences Several others entituled Medon Cleon Socrates Erotics Phaedonides Ptolemy Artaxerxes Aristomachus Homerics Aristides Exhortatorius Dionysius the Chalcidian the incursion of the Athenians the Proem of History the sworn Harangue Right His Epistles making one Book his Stile is
â—e Company of Wolves For that neither â—f them had their Friends about them but â—n the contrary such as lay in wait for â—heir Destruction When he perceived â—imself to be dying he chanted this â—ver to himself Dear Hump-back now thou go'st Unto the Nether Coast Thou 'st lived of the most For he was now grown crooked â—hrough Age. To Alexander asking him â—hether he was desirous he should rebuild â—is Native City or no he said no what â—o do It may be another Alexander will â—ome and destroy it again He added â—oreover that he for his Part had Poverâ—y and Obscurity for his native City which â—e was sure could never be taken by Forâ—â—â—e and that he was a Citizen of Diogeâ—es that could never be supplanted by â—â—vy Menander makes mention of him 〈…〉 a certain Comedy of his named the â—wins in these words â—hou shalt go rambling with me all thy Life Mantled about like Cynick Crates Wife And again the same Author saith this of him He set his Daughter out to hire And gave them thirty days to try her The LIFE of METROCLES METROCLES was his Disciple and Brother to Hipparchia who being formerly a Hearer of Theophrastus the Peripatetick was of so abasht a Temper that he happening once in the midst of an Exercise to break Wind backwards he went home and lock'd himself up resolving never to come abroad any more Which when Crates had understood by 〈…〉 Friend he went at his request to give him a visit having first filled his Belly with Lentile Pottage for the nonce He then began to perswade him by many Arguments that he had committed no absurdity at all For it would have been like a Prodigy if he had not discharged thâ— Wind according to its natural Course And in the close of all he let fly himself and thereby put him in heart again coâ—forting him by the Similitude of the two Facts From that time forward he became his Auditour and was a very ablâ— Man in Philosophy As he was once buâ—ting his own Writings as Hecato tells 〈…〉 in the first Book of his Sayings he rehearsed over the following Verse These are the Phantomes of my younger Dreams As who should say they are but meer Whimsies Some say that as he was commiting to the Flames the Lectures of Theophrastus he said over this Verse Vulcan come quick Thetis hath work for thee He was wont to say there were some things that might be purchased with Moâ—y as a House and others that must be bought with long time and hard Labour as Learning Also that a great Estate was a mischievous thing to one that could not wisely manage it He died of old Age stifling himself His Disciples were Theombrotus and Cleomenes Theombrotus's was Demetrius of Alexandria and Cleomenes's Timarchus of Alexandria and Echecles of Ephesus Of which Echecles was also a Hearer of Theombrotus and of him Menedemus of whom we shall treat hereafter Menippus of Sinope was also a Man of note among them The LIFE of HIPPARCHIA HIPPARCHIA also the Sister of Metrocles was caught by his Discourses And they were both of them of Maronea And she fell passionately in Love with Crates and with his Conversation and way of Living not regarding any one of her Suitors nor either Wealth Parentage or Beauty But Crates was all these to her Nay she threatned her Parents she would make away with her self if she might not have him Crates therefore being earnestly entreated by her Parents to perswade the Girl against it did all he possibly could And at last finding he could not perswade her he stood up and set down all his Implements before her and said to her here is your Bridegroom and here is his Estate Consider now how you will like these things for you are no Compation for me if you cannot follow my course of Life The Girl chose so to do and immediately took up the same habit with his and went about with him and would both lye with him and go to Suppers with him in open view She went once to the House of Lysimachus to a Banquet where she ran down Theodor surnamed the Atheist by propounding this Sophism to him That by doing whereof Theodor cannot be said to commit Injury neither can Hipparchia by doing it be said to do Injury But Theodor by beating of himself cannot be said to commit Injury Hipparchia therefore by beating Theodor cannot be said to Commit Injury But he answered nothing to what she had said but began to pull up her Coats But Hipparchia was neither put out of Countenance nor any way discomposed by it as in such cases Women are used to be But on the contrary when he said to her Who 's this that 's hither come Leaving her Shuttle in the Loom She presently replied It is I Theodor. Dost thou really think I have provided ill for my self if I have employed the time I should have spent at my Looms in the getting of Knowledge These and a Thousand more such things are said of this Woman Philosopher There goes about a little Book of Crates's it being his Epistles in which he shews himself to be a very excellent Philosopher His Stile is sometimes very like unto that of Plato He wrote also certain Tragedies in which he maintains the sublimest Character of a Philosopher Of which this that follows is an Example One House my Home shan't be Nor one Town my Country But every House my Home My Country where I come He died a very old Man and was buried in Boeotia The LIFE of MENIPPVS MENIPPVS also was a Cynick Philosopher being by descent a Phoenician and as Achaicus tells us in his Ethics a Servant But Diocles saith his Master was of Pontus and that his name was Baton And his unsatiable Covetousness rendring him a most indefatigable Beggar he got so much Money at last as to make himself a Freeman of Thebes There is nothing in him that deserves much remark But his Books are very well fraught with matter of Laughter and are in some respects equal to those of Meleager who was his Contemporary Hermippus saith he was called and really was a Day-usurer For that he was used to lend upon Interest to poor Seamen and to take their Pledges Insomuch that he amassed together a very considerable sum of Money But at last a Plot was laid against him and he was robbed of it all upon which he grew so discontented that he hang'd himself And I have diverted my self with him as followeth Menippus you may know the Cretan Curr But Syrian Born and the Day-usurer So was his name How Theban Thieves had broke His House by Night and all his Money took Because he knew not what to Dogs belong'd He had not Patience to stay to be hang'd But there are some that say his Books are not his own but Dionysius's and Zopyrus's and the Colophonians who having written by way of Pastime and Droll gave their Compositions