the thirtieth year And no lesse erre Ammonius if he be Author of that Life and Olympiodorus who affirm that Aristotle coming to Athens in the seventeenth year of his age heard Socrates three years whereas Socrates was put to death when Laches was Archon thirty two years before Nausigenes under whom Aristotle was seventeen years old Being recommended to Plato he became his Disciple and so continued twenty years as an Epistle of his to Philip cited by the old Interpreter of his life did testifie Plato much loved him and admired his acutenesse of apprehension and diligence in study for which Philoponus saith Plato used to call him the Minde of the Schoole and when he was not at his Lectures he would say The Intellect is not here or as Rhodiginus The Philosopher of truth is absent And comparing his acutenesse with the dulnesse of Xenocrates Plato was wont to say What an horse and what an asse have I to yoke together Xenocrates needs a spur Aristotle a bit Whilst he lived with Plato he was extreamly studious and given to reading insomuch that Plato called his house the house of the great Reader and would often say Let us go to the great Readers house This may be confirmed by that great number of antient Authors which are cited in his works And though Laertius either in his own or Carneades's words saith that Aristotle hath thrust in as many sentences of old Authors in his writings as both Zeno and Chrysippus yet every one that is acquainted with the writings of Aristotle knoweth how judiciously and concisely he giveth an account of their opinions not for ostentation but disquisition Some report there was a great enmity betwixt Plato and Aristotle which first arose from Plato's dislike of his manner of habit For Aristotle wore rich garments and rich shooes and contrary to Plato's rule cut his hair short and wore rings He had likewise say they a scornfull derision in his look and tenacious contradiction in his discourse which Plato not approving preferred before him Xenocrates Speusippus Amyclas and others to whom he communicated his Doctrine and many favours but repudiated Aristotle who thereupon whilst Plato was yet alive set up a School in opposition to him in the Lyceum at which ingratitude â—lato much troubled said Aristotle kicks at us as young Colis at the damme that foaled them when they have sucked their sill and for that reason usually called Aristotle the Colt They add that Xenocrates being gone into his Country and Speusippus not well Aristotle came into Plato's School with some of his followers and circumvented him with fallacious arguments whereupon Plato retired to his own house and there taught privately leaving Aristotle in possession of the Schoole which he kept till Xenocrates returning ejected him and reinstated Plato The chiefe author of this report seemes to have been Aristoxenus cited by Eusebius who as Suidas observes assoon as Aristotle was dead cast many aspersions upon him out of a malitious revenge because Aristotle preferred Theophrastus before him in the succession of the School notwithstanding that Aristoxenus had gained a great name and credit among the Disciples But as Ammonius argues it is not likely that Aristotle if he would could have ejected Plato out of the School or have obtained licence to erect a new one in opposition to him for as much as at the same time Chaâ—rias and Timotheus Plato's kinsmen were in great power and Generalls of the Athenian forces Yet some there are who affirm this grounding it only on Aristotles contradicting of Plato in many things to which Ammonius answers that Aristotle doth not simply contradict Plato but those who misinterpret his writings For if he do sometimes contradict Plato what wonder seeing that therein he followeth Plato his Author whose saying it was that Truth ought to be preferred before all things as also that saying Socrates indeed is dear but Truth most dear And elsewhere What Socrates saith we must not so much regard as we ought to be solicitous concerning Truth The same course Aristotle took if at any time he confuted Plato's assertion therein obeying him by following the Truth and it is observed by some that he is very sparing in naming him where he opposeth his doctrine and that thrice he makes honourable mention of him in his Rhetorick his Book of the World if that be his and his Problems True therefore it is as Apollodorus Dionysius Halicarnassaeus but especially Aristotle himselfe in his Epistle to Philip affirm that he was a constant sedulous hearer of Plato twenty years unto the thirty seventh of his age even untill Plato died and then was so great an honourer of his memory that in testimony of his extraordinary affection he erected an Altar to him bearing this inscription This Altar Aristotle's hand did raise To Plato whom the impious must not praise Olympiodorus speaking of the honour which Aristotle gave to his Master confirmeth it by this argument that he writ a whole oration in commendation of Plato wherein he first made a relation of his life then praised him He adds that Aristotle in his Elegies to Eudemus extolls him thus And coming to the fam'd Cecropian Town In signe of friendship did an Altar raise To him whom impious persons must not praise Who straying man to vertue did restore Much by his precept by example more One to the Gods so pious good to men No future age must think to see again Some affirm that whilst he lived with Plato he profess'd Medicine and kept a shop but those Aristocles confutes CHAP. IV. How he lived with Hermias P Lato dying in the first year of the 108th Olympiad and Speusippus his Nephew succeeding in the School Aristotle went to Hermias the Eunuch King of Atarna a City of Mysia in Asia who heretofore had been his fellow Disciple under Plato and had a particular kindness for him Hermias received him with great testimonies of love and respect With him he lived three years instructing him in Philosophy at the end whereof Hermias was as Strabo saith surprised by Memnon a Rhodian and sent to Artaxerxes King of Persia who put him to death Pythaiâ— his sister a woman of extraordinary vertue whom Hermias having no children had design'd his heir being upon this accident reduced to great extremities and afflictions Aristotle in a pious gratitude to the memory of his friend as his own Letter to Antipater attesteth took her to wife and set up the statue of Hermias in the Temple at Delphi with this Inscription This man the Persian King against all right A sacrifice to his fierce anger made Not like a foe by martiall armes in fight But as a friend by show of love bâ—tray'd He wrote likewise a Hymne to Vertue in memory of his Friend to this effect Vertue whom we all obtain With much labour
brought him this letter Amasis King of Aegypt saith thus to Bias wisest of the Greeks the King of Aethiopia contendeth with me for preheminence in wisdome master'd in other things he in conclusion requires an absurd strange thing that I drink up the sea this proposition if I resolue I shall have many of his Townes and Citties if I resolve not I must lose all those which are about Elephantina Ponder it and send Niloxenus back with all speed what euer we can do for your friends and Country shall not be wanting Having read the Letter Bias with a short pause recollecting himselfe and having whispered to Cleobubâ—s who sat next him What saith he Naucratites Amasis who commands so many men and possesseth so excellent a Country will he for a few obscure contemptible villages drink up the sea Bias saith Niloxenus smiling consider as if he meant to do it how it might be effected Bid the Aethiopian replyed Bias withold the rivers from running into the sea untill he hath drunk off that which is now sea for the imposition concernes that only which is such at present not what shall be hereafter Niloxenus embraced him with joy the rest applauding his solution CHAP. II. His morall sentence precepts and verses HIs Apothegmes are thus delivered by Laertius and others He is unfortunate who cannot bear misfortune It is a disease of the mind to desire such things as cannot be obtained and to be unmindfull of the miseries of others To one that asked what is hard he answered to bear couragiously a change to the worse Being at sea in company with wicked who a storm arising called upon the Gods hold your peace saith he lest they know you are here To a wicked man enquiring what was piety he was silent the other asking the reason of his silence I answer not saith he because you enquire after that which nothing concernes you Being demanded what is sweet to mankind he answered Hope It is better to decide a difference betwixt our enemies then friends for one of the friends will certainly become an enemie one of the enemies a friend Being asked what a man did with delight he answered gain by labour We should so live as though our life would be both long and short So love as if hereafter we might hate conversing in friendship with caution remembring that it may possibly convert to enmity To one demanding whether he should take a wife she must be saith he either fair or foul if fair she will be common if foule a pennance That Tyrant shall gain most glory who first himselfe obeyes the lawes of his country That common-wealth is best ordered wherein every man fears the Law more then a Tyrant That family is best ordered where the Master behaves himselfe voluntarily within dores as he doth without by constraint of the Law Those who busie themselves in vain knowledge resemble an Owle which seeth only in the night but is blind in the light so is their mind sharp-sighted in vanity dark at the approach of true light Ausonius hath these under his name What is our chiefest good a conscience free Our greatest ill mans mans worst enemie Poor th'avaricious Rich who nought desires A wifes best dower the fame chast life acquires Chast she of whom report dare speak no ill Wise who hath power to hurt but wants the will A fool who wants the power and yet would kill His morall precepts according to Demetrius Phalereus these Most men are evill His particular sentence Before you do any thing behold your face in a glasse if it seem handsome do handsome things if deformed suply the defects of nature Practise honesty Undertake deliberately but having once begun go through Abhor to speak hastily Laert. It is madnesse lest thou sin for repentance followes Be neither simple nor subtle Admit not imprudence Love prudence Every where professe there are Gods Weigh what is to be done Hear much Speak seasonably If poor reprove not the rich unless great advantage may arise thereby Praise not an unworthy person for his wealth Acquire by perswasion not by violence When thou dost good impute it not to thy selfe but to the Gods In thy youth gain wealth in thy age wisdome or as Laertius from thy youth to thy age gain wisdome for it will be more sure to thee then all other possessions Preserve in thy actions remembrance in opportunity caution in thy manners ingenuity in labour patience in fear warinesse in wealth love in discourse perswasion in silence a decorum in sentence justice in boldnesse fortitude in action power in glory eminence in thy nature generosity Of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these were most esteemed To all the City where thou liv'st be kind They who most favour show most favour find But pride is often with destruction joyn'd And Strength is a gift which natures hand bestowes Rhetorick and policy the wise soule knowes Riches a present that from fortune flowes CHAP. III. His death and writings HE was much addicted to pleading very earnest therein but alwaies employed in just causes which Demodicus the Alerian implies saying If thou chance to be a Iudge giue sentence on the Prienaean side and Hipponax to plead a cause better then Bias the Prienaean And in that manner he died being very old as he was pleading having ended his speech he reposed his head in the bosom of his sisters son his adversary having ended his defence the Judges gave sentence on Bias his side the Court dismist he was found dead in his Nephews bosome the City bestowed a magnificent monument upon him with this inscription Bias of Prienaean fam'd descent Lies here Ionia's greatest ornament They also dedicated a Temple to him called the Tutamian Laertius bestowes upon him this Epigram Bias lies hidden here whom Hermes lead To th' grave when age had snow'd upon his head His head which pleading for his friend enclind Upon his Nephew to long sleep resign'd He writ concerning Ionia by what means it might be most happy perhaps that counsell already mentioned two thousand verses CLEOBVLE CLEOBVLVS CHAP. I. Cleobulus his life death and writings CLEOBULUS was of Lindus a City of Rhodes or according to Duris of Caria son of Evagâ—ras lineally descended from Hercules excellent both in wisdome outward beauty and strength beyond all those of his time learned in the Philosophy of the Egyptians That he was Tyrant of Lindus is manifest from Plutarch * He re-edified the Temple of Minerva founded by Danaus He had a daughter whom he named Eumetis but was called commonly from her father Cleobulina she composed verses and riddles in Hexameters famous for her wisdome and acutenesse in those riddles some of her questions having spread as far as Egypt which she used jocularly like dice upon occasions only contesting with such as provoked her she was also indued with an admirable height of mind and a wit both Politick and full of humanity
be because saith he I never did any unjust act which I conceive the best apologie but we often see Judges saith Hermogenes overswai'd by Rhetorick to condemne the innocent and acquit the guilty the truth is replyed Socrates going about to make my apology I was twice withheld by the Daemon whereat Hermogenes wondring is it strange continues hee that God should think it fit for me to dy at this time hitherto no man hath lived more uprightly which as it is now my greatest comfort so it was the greatest delight to my selfe and friends if I live longer I know I mustundergoe what is proper to old age defects of hearing and sight slownesse to apprehend aptness to forget how can I then be pleased to live longer and grow worse It is likely God in his love to mee hath ordained that I should die in the most convenient age and by the gentlest meanes for if I die by sentence I am allowed the benefit of the most easie kind of death I shall give my friends the least trouble I shall doe nothing unseemely before those that are present and shall depart sound in body and soule is not this very desirable God with much reason forbids me to make any defence If I could effect it I should onely stay longer to be taken away by the torment of diseases and imperfections of age which truly Hermogenes I desire not If when I give an accompt of my actions towards God and men the Judges think fit to condemne me I will rather chufe to die then to beg of them a life worse then death Other friends used the same perswasions to him with assurance of victory Lycias an excellent Oratour offered him an Oration which he had written in his defence desiring him if he thought good to make use of it at his tryall Socrates perused it and told him that it was a good one but not fit for him Lysias asking how that could be why saith he may not a garment or shooes be rich yet not fit for me if you should bring me Sicyonian shooes I would not weare them though they were fit for my feet because they are effeminate he conceived the Oration to be ingenious and eloquent but not stout and manly for though it were very bitter against the Judges yet was it more rhetoricall then became a Philosopher The day of tryall being come Anytus Lyco and Melitus prepared to accuse him one in behalfe of the people the second of the Oratours the last of the Poets Melitus first went up into the chaire proper for that purpose and there spoke an Oration which was in it felt mean enough but withall deliver'd so unhappily and school-boy-like that sometimes he was out with fear and turned about to be prompted like a player enough to beget laughter even in those that were most concern'd in so serious a caufe Part of the effect whereof seems to be the same which is thus by Xenophon dispersedly deliver'd some particulars whereof are confirmed by Libanius That Socrates perswaded his auditors to contemn the received Lawes saying it was sit onely for fooles to bee govern'd by a bean meaning the suffrages of the Senate so gather'd That he was intimately conversant with Critias and Alcibiades one most covetous and violent in the Oligarchy the other ambitious of Tyranny That he taught direspect and obedience to Parents telling his scholers hee would make them wiser than their Fathers and that it was lawfull for any one to bind his Father if hee were mad and for those that were the more wise to do as much to those that were lesse wise That he taught also direspect of all other kinsmen saying they were not usefull to the sick or to the accused the first being in more need of a Physician the latter of an Oratour that the good will of unable friends was nothing worth that onely the most knowing persons were most worthy of honour by which means he would arrogate all respect to himself That he selected out of the Poets some ill places and perverted others that were not so to excite his friends to impious actions as that of Hesiod There is no work pursued shame 'T is idleness hat merits blame He expounded as if the Poet meant all acts might be committed for gain That he often repeated and misinterpreted tese words of Homer as if the poet allowed the poor to be beaten When he a Prince or some great person meets Such with soft language kindly thus he greets Happy above the reach of fear are you Sit down and bid your followers do so too But of the lower fort when any speaks Forth these words with blows his anger breaks Be quiet to shy betters wretch submit For action and advice alike unsit Melitus his oration ended came down next him came Anytus with a long malicious speech and last of all Lyco with all the artisice of Rhetorick concluded the accusation Socrates would not as was the custom procure an Advocate to plead for him all the while his accusers were speaking he seemed to employ his mind about nothing lesse as soon as they had done he went up into the chair in which action he observed that the Daemon did not withhold him anâ— with an angry smile begun this unpremeditated answer not as a suppliant or guilty person but as if Master of the Judges themselves with a free contumacy proceeding not from pride but the greatnesse of his mind But I wonder first Athenians how Melitus came by this knowledge that as he saith I do not worship those Gods the City worships Others have seen me and to might Melitus if he had pleas'd sacrifice at common festivalls on the publick Altars How do I introduce new deities when I professe to be directed in all my actions by the voice of God they who observe the notes of birds or answers of men are guided by the voice none doubts of thunder whether it bee loud or oraculous Doth not the Priestesse on the Tripod convey to us by voice what the God delivers to her and that he foreknowes events communicating them to whom pleaseth him all men as well as I believe and professe others call those that foretell events Augurs Soothsayers and Diviners I the Daemon and I conceive more religiously then they who ascribe a Divine power to birds That I am no impostor herein many can attest who have asked my advice and never found it fail Here there arose a murmur in the Senate some not believing others envying what he said that he should surpasse them in such a particular favour of the deity Let such as are incredulous hear this also to confirm their opinion that I am not favour'd of the Gods when Chaerephon in the presence of many witnesses question'd the Delphian Oracle concerning me Apollo answered that no man was more free more just or more wise here another murmur arose amongst the Judges he proceeded Yet
Philosophy of Spâ—usipppus and Xenocrates 1. In all 19. The Sum of all these Books excepting the Epistles is 513. Laertius reckons them to be near 400. perhaps accounting the severall Books that are upon the same subject for one But of these the greatest part is lost and of many that are extant the Titles altered of the extant there are only these LOGICK CAtegories 1. Of Interpretation 1. First Analyticks 2. Second Analyticks 2. Topicks 8. Elenchs 1. PHYSICK OF natural Auscultation 8. Of Heaven 4. Of Generation and Corruption 2. Of Meteors 4. Of the World 1. Suspected Of the Soul 3 Of Sense and Sensibles 1. Of memory and Reminiscence 1. Of sleep and waking 1. Of Dream 1. Divination by dreams 1. Of the motion of living Creatures 1. Of the length and shortnesse of life 1. Of youth and age life and death 1. Of Respiration 1. Of the going of Animals 1. Of Breath 1. Of the generation of Animals 5. Of the parts of Animals 4. The Historie of Animals 10. Of Colours 1 Of Physiognomy 1. Spâ—rious 2 ETHICK EThick to Nicomachus 10. Great Ethick 2. Ethick to Eudemus 7. Of vertues 1. Oeconomick 2. Poliâ—ick 8. METAPHYSICK MEtaphysick 14. Of the abstruse part of Divine Wisdom according to the Aeâ—yptians translated out of Arabick but suspected to be spurious 14. MATHEMATICKS MAthematick 2. Mechanick 1. Of insecable lines 1. PHILOLOGICK RHetorick 3. Rhetorick to Alexander 1. Poetick 1. EXTRAORDINARY PRoblems 38. Wonders 1. Of Zenophanes Zeno and Gorgias 1. Besides these there are many other Books â—ited for his under these Titles Magick Laert. Prooem Epitome of Oratours Laert. Arisâ—p Of Beanes Laert. Pythag. Of Mixtion Aristot. de sensu cap. 3. Of Sapors Arist. de sensu cap. 4. Physical History Arist. de incess Animal cap. 2. Of Nutriment Arist. de Somno cap. 3. Selection of Contraries Arist. Metaph. lib. 3. cap. 2. Division of Contraries Arist. Metaph. lib. 10. cap. 3. Of Opposites Simplic in cap. de Opposit Comm. 8. Collection of Pythagorick Opinions Simplic in lib. 2. de Coelo Com. 4. Of Idea's Alexand. in lib. 1. Metaphyâ— Comm. 59. where he cites the fourth Book though Laertius but one as if there were no more Of Enunciation Alexand. in lib. 4. Metaphys Com. 25. 44. Of Affirmation Alexand. in lib. 4. Mâ—â—aphys Com. 62. Of Platonick assertions Plut. contra Coloâ— Eudemas Plut. Consol. ad Apollon Of Drunkennesse Plut. Symposiac 3. Athenaeus cites the tenth book hereof Animal or of Fishes Athen. Deâ—pâ— 7. Of living Creatures and of things pertaining to living Creaâ—â—res Atâ—en Of the manners of living Creatures Athen. Of Pheasants Athen. Of Consanguinity Athen. Of wonderful luxury Athen. Apologie Athen. Histories Athen. Barbarous Iurisdictions Of Audibles Porphyr Comm. in Ptol. Mâ—â—s Proclus in Timaeum Plat. The Cohabitant Pâ—oclus Proaem in Repub. Platon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Macrob. Saturnal lib. 1. Of Nature Clem. Alexandrin Strom. lib. 6. We shall not add the Peplâ—s cited by Nicephorus and the Chriae by Stobaeus under his name since it is manifest they belong not to the same Aristotle as 〈◊〉 hath evinced These Books Aristotle gave to Theophrastus when he made him his successor in the School as Strabâ— affirmeth adding that Aristotle was the first we know of that made a Library which the Aegyptian Kings learned of him to do Theophrastus bequeathed all his books to Nelius a Scepsian who carried them to Sâ—epsis and dying left them to his heirs men of no Learning who only kept them confusedly locked up And when they understood what care was taken by the Aâ—â—alick Kings in whose jurisdiction Scepsis was to make a Library in Pergamus they 〈◊〉 them in a hole under ground where they continued about 130 years by which means they received some injury by the wet and worms At last some that were descended from Aristoâ—lâ— and Theophrastus sold them to Apellico a Teâ—an who according to Athenaeus was made free of the City of Athens a person very rich who besides many other Libraries bought this of Aristotle being himselfe a lover of Peripatetick Philosophy for a great summe of mony This Apellico was more a lover of Books then of Learning so that because they had received some injury he caused them to be transcribed supplying the defects not rightly and by that means put them forth full of faults The antient Peripateticks that succeeded Theophrastus wanting Books as having but very few and those Exoterick could not treat exactly upon any part of Philosophy They that lived latter after that these books were published had much greater helps to Philosophy and the imitation of Aristotle although by reason of the infinite faults they were forced to say many things by guesse Hereunto Rome conduced not a little for soon after the death of Apellico Sylla taking Athens in the fourth year of the 173 Olympiad seised upon his Library and causing it to be carried to Rome Tyrannio a Grammarian a person studious of Aristotle obâ—ained leave of the Library-Keeper to be permitted the use of them the Book-sellers not having good writers and not comparing well the Copies it occasion'd many faults as well in those Books that were at Rome as in those transcribed and sold into Alexandria Plutarch adds that from this Tyrannio Andronicus the Rhodian had them who first made them publick setting forth those volumes which saith he we have Thus Strabo and Plutarch Athenaeus saith that Nelius sold them to Ptolemaeus Phâ—ladelphius by whom they were translated to Alexandria where how long they lay hid is uncertain which Library was afterwards burn'd by Iulius Cesar. CHAP. XVII His Commentatours NO sooner were the writings of Aristotle communicated to the world but they were entertained with generall approbation which some expressed by employing themselves in Commenting upon them whose example was â—ollowed by many in all following ages To omit Pasicrates the Rhodian brother of Eudemus who wrote as Galen affirmeth upon the book of Categories we shall name in the first place Andronicus the Rhodian who first published Aristotles writings put fâ—rth a Paraphrase or Comment upon the greatest part of them Next his Disciple Boethus a Sidonian took much pains in the exposition of Aristotle whence he is often mentioned honourably by Ammoniusâ—nd â—nd Simplicius Aristo a Coan Disciple also to Andronicus as Strabo affirms living in the time of Nicias Tyrant of Coos is reckoned by Simplicius amongst the old Commentatours upon Aristotles Categories Nicolaus Damascenus who lived in the time of Augustus by whom much loved is cited by Simplicius and Averroes as an Expositor of Aristotle Aâ—henodorus of Tarsis a Stoick who lived also under Augustus as Plutarch affirms is cited by Simplicius as having written upon Aristotle's Categories but rather by way of confutation then interpretation as did likewise Alexander Aegeus Nero's Tutor mention'd Simplicius Cornutus who lived at the same time cited by Porphyrius and Simplicius Lucius and Nicostratus a Macedoman who lived under Antonius Sotion of Alexandria and Achacius seem
apple will not admit Transplantation so whatsoever he said was to be heard only from himself For this sweetnesse of discourse some added the letter â— to his name calling him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which implyeth sweetnesse so Plutarch In stile he was very different from himself Upon those who were sorry they had not learned when time was and wished it might be recalled he jested thus He said that they who endeavoured to make amends by a late penitence for their past negligence were conscious of the impossibility of their wishes and of those that sought to bring it to passe he said they had lost all reason in applying the nature of a straight line to a crooked ruler or beholding their face in troubled water or a confused mirrour He said that to the wreath of publick games in the Forum many aspired to the Olympick few or none He many times by his Counsell much advantaged the Athenians In his garments he affected neatnesse so much that as Hermippus saith he wore an upper garment very precious and fine He was very expert in all exercises active and well made for a Wrestler being thin-ear'd and well set as Antigonus Caryslius affirmeth Whence in his own Country he practised the Elean Games and played at Ball. He was intimate with Eumenus and Attalus beyond all men who supply'd him with many things Antiochus also would have had him lived with him but could not get him He was so great an enemy to Hieronymus the Peripatetick that upon a solemn day of which already in the life of Arcesilaus he only forbore to come to him He compared Orators to Frogs these saith he croak in the water those by the water of an houre-glasse He was Master of the School forty years succeeding Strato in the hundred twenty seventh Olympiad as he had given order by his Will CHAP. II. His Will and Death Laertius produceth a Will of his to this effect THVS I dispose of my estate if I shall not recover of this sicknesse All that is in my house I bequeath to the Brethren Astyanax and Lyco out of which is to be paid whatsoever I owe at Athens to any man as also the charges of my Funerall and Exequies What is in the City and Aegina I bestow upon Lyco because he is of our name and hath lived long with us to our great content as one that deserved the place of a Son The Peripatum I leave to those friends that will make use of it as Bulo Callinus Aristo Amphio Lyco Pytho Aristomachus Heraclius Lycomedes Lyco my Kinsman Let them put him in that place who they conceive will persevere in it and discharge it best which let the rest of my friends confirm for my sake and the places My Funerall and the burning of my Body be so ordered by Bulo and Callinus that it be not prodigall nor niggardly Out of my â—state at Aegina let Lyco after my death give to the young men as much Oyle as shall serve their turnes that hereby the memory of me and him that honours me may be justly preserved Let them set up my Statue and choose a fit place for the setting up of it wherein let Diophantus and Heraclides son of Demetrius assist them Out of my Rents in the City let Lyco pay all that I have named after his departure in the next place let Buâ—o and Callinus and the expenses of my funerall be discharged Let that houshold stuffe be taken away which I have left as common betwixt them Let likewise the Physicians Pasithemis and Midas be honoured and rewarded for their care of me and for their skill To the son of Callinus I leave a couple of Thericlean Pots and to his Wife a couple of Goblets and a fine Carpet and a shaggy Carpet and a Coverlet and two Couch beds the best that are left that we may not seem unmindfull of their due respect towards us As for those that served me I order thus Demetrius who hath been long a Free man I forgive the price of his redemption and bestow upon him five Minae and a Cloak and a Coat and as having undergone many labours with me let him be decently supplyed with necessaries Crito the Chalcidonian I forgive the price of his redemption and bestow further on him foure Minae Micrus also I manumit whom let Lyco bring up and six years hence let him instruct him In like manner I manumit Chares whom let Lyco also bring up I give him two Minae and my bookes that have been published The rest that have not been published let them be given to Callinus and let him take diligent care for the publishing of them To Syrus the Free-man I give foure Minae and Menodora and if he owe me any thing I forgive it him To Hilara I give five Minae a shaggy Câ—verlet two Couch-beds a Carpet and which bed he shall choose I manumit likewise the Mother of Micrus and Noemones and Dion and Theon and Euphranor and Hermias as also Agatho after he hath served two years more as also Ophelio and Possidonius the bearers of my Litter after they have served four years more I will that they be set at liberty I give moreover to Demetrius Crito and Syrus to each a Bed and Coverlet such as Lyco shall think sit This I bestow on them for as much as they have express'd themselves faithfull in the performance of such things as were committed to their charge As for my buriall whether Lyco will have it here or at home let it be as he will for I perswade my selfe he will do what is fitting no lesse then if I had done it my selfe When he shall have faithfully performed thesâ— things let the bequests of my Will remain firm Witnesses Callinus an Hermioneâ—n Aristo the Chian Euphronius a Poeaniean Thus saith Laertius having wisely managed all things appertaining to Learning and Humanity his prudence and diligence extended even to the making of his Will so that in that respect also he deserveth studiously to be imitated He died 74 years old of the Gout There were foure of this name The first a Pythagorâ—an mentioned in the life of Aristotle The second this Peripatetick The third an Epick Poet. The fourth an Epigrammatick Poet. ARISTO ARisto succeeded Lyco He was of the Island Ceos famous for a Law that whosoever exceeded 60. years of age should be put to death that there might be no want of Provision for those that were more serviceable In former time saith Strabo it had four Citties now there remain but two Iulis and Carthaea into which the rest were transferr'd Poecessa into Carthaea Caressus into Iulis In Iulis Aristo was born He was an Auditor of Lyco and succeeded him in the Government of the Peripatetick School as Cicero Plutarch and Clemens Alexandrinus affirm He was a great imitator of Bion the Boristenite Cicero saith hee was neat and elegant He wrote a Treatise of Nilus cited by Strabo and Amatory
deserve the titles of wise-men if we who said to Creet to informe our selves of matters there and into Aegypt to conser with Priests and Astronomers should not likewise make a journey to you Solon also if you think fit will come You who affect home seldome passe into Ionia nor care to enioy the society of strangers we who write nothing spend our time in travelling through Greece and Asia Thales to Solon IF you leave Athens you may in my opinion settle your selfe with those you take along with you at Miletus for here is nothing to trouble you If you dislike that we Milesians are governed by a â—yrant for you are averse to all Monarchs even elective yet may you please your selfe in the society and conversation of me your friend Bias likewise hath sent to invite you to Priene if to abide at Priene please you better we will also come and dwell there with you CHAP. XII His Auditors and Schollers THe first eminent person of those who heard Thales and profess'd his Philosophy was Anaximander sonne of â—raxides a Milesian who flourish'd in the time of Polycrates Tyrant of Samos Next is Anaximenes a Milesian also sonne of Euristratus who according to Eusebius flourished in the second yeare of the 56 th Olympiad He was Scholler to Anaximander and Parmenides But that he heard Thales also he acknowledgeth in an Epistle to Pythagoras We may as in that Epistle Anaximenes doth amongst the disciples of Thales reckon Pythagoras the Samian institutor of the Italick Sect who being from his youth particularly addicted to investigation of Religious mysteries addrest his first journey to Thales at Miletus as to one that best could further his designe being according to Iamblichus not fully 18. yeares old which if we follow the accompt of Euseb. us for his birth the fourth yeare of the seventieth Olympiad and that of Sosicrates for his age eighty yeares for the rest the farther they exceed that time are so much the more incapable of reconcilement will fall about the second yeare of the fifty fourth Olympiad which is the 82. of Thales From Thales he received the Rudiments of that Excellence which he afterwards attained This is acknowledged by Iamblichus Thales saith he entertaind him very kindly admiring the difference between him and other youths which exceeded the fame hee had receiv'd of him After that he had instructed him as well as he was able in the Mathematicks alledging for excuse his old age and infirmity be advis'd him to goe to Aegypt and to converse with the Memphian Priests especially those of Iupiter of whom he himselfe had in his Travells learned those things for which by many he was esteem'd wises and again among other things Thales chiefely advis'd him to husband his time well in respect whereof he aâ—tain'd from wine and flesh onely eating such things as are light of digestion by which meanes he procured shortnesse of sleepe wakefulnesse purity of minde and constant health of body CHAP. XIII of his Death THales having now liv'd to a great age being full of honour and wisedome died in the first yeare of the fifty eight Olympiad when according to Pausanias Erxyclides was Archon as he was beholding the Olympick games opprest with heate thirst and the burden of his yeares which amounted to ninty two Laertius under-reckons him to have lived but eighty seven yeares having before acknowledged his birth to have beene in the first of the 35. Olympiad Petavius over-reckons who makes him live to the end of the 58. which could not be because he died spectator of the Olympick Games Lucian and Sincellus more who say he lived 100 yeares Sosicrates comes nearest to the truth who allowes him to have lived 90. yeares and to have died in the 58. Olympiad for from the first of the 58. is 23. entyre Olympiads The manner of his death gave Laertius occasion to favour him with this Epigram Vewing th' Olympick games Elean Jove Thou didst wise Thales from that his race remove Nigher thy selfe and 't was well done now old He could not well from Earth the Starrs behold He was buried according to his owne appointment in a poore obscure part of the Milesian field where he presag'd that in future times their Forum should be upon his Tomb this distich Narrow the Tomb the fame then heaven more wide Of wisest Thales whom this earth doth hide There was also a statue erected in honour of him bearing this subscription Milesian Thales this doth represent Who all in wise Astrology outwent There were five more of this name mentioned by Demetrius the Magnesiâ—a an orator of Calatis an affected imitator A Painter of Sicyonia of a great spirit The third very antient contemporary with Hesiod Homer and Lycurgus The fourth mentioned by Duris the fift of later times by Dionysius in Criticis Laertius names Pherecydes as a detractour from Thales the Philosopher SOLON CHAP. I. Solon his Parents Country and Condition PHilocles cited by Didymus affirmes that Solon's father was named Euphorion but by the unanimous consent of all other writers he was called Execestides a person though of small fortune and account among the Citizens yet of the most noble family in Athens descended from Codrus Solon deriving himselfe from Neleus son of Codrus and from Neptune His Mother neer of kin to the Mother of Pisistratus his Parents had another Son named Dropides Archon the year after Solon from him was Plato descended Solon was born according to Laâ—rtius at Salamis for which reason he desired at his death that his body might be carried thither but from his Parents and the place of his residence he was sirnamed Athenian His father by munificence and liberality brought his estate so low as to want even necessaries Solon ashamed to receive from any being of a house which used to maintain others betook himselfe to Merchandise others say he travelled rather to improve his knowledge and experience for he was a professed lover of wisdome and even to his last used to say I grow old learning riches he esteemed not much but to grow rich like him who abounds In heaps of gold as in rank corn his grounds In Mules and Horses whilst his numerous wealth Made pleasing by uninterrupted health If to compleat these joyes he be possest Of wife and children he is truly blest And elsewhere Riches I wish not riches that are plac'd In unjust means for vengeance comes at last SOLON Many unjust grow rich and pious poor We would not change our virtue for their store For constant virtue is a solid base Riches from man to man uncertain pass Aristotle ranks Solon amongst the inferior sort of Citizens whiâ—h saith he is manifest from his Elegies meaning perhaps some of these which Plutarch cites Lucian saith he was extreamly poor Palaeologus that he neither had nor valued wealth CHAP. II. How by his means the Athenians took Salamis
By Perianders order See men slain By cruell men by fishes kind preserv'd CHAP. V. Of his Wife HIs wife was named Lysis by him called Melissa daughter to Procleus Tyrant of Epidaurus and Eristhenea the daughter of Aristacrates by the sister of Aristomedes which persons ruled over the greatest part of Arcadia He fell in love with her seeing her in a Peloponnessian dresse in her petticote without a gown giving drink to her fathers workmen Long after he kil'd her in his fury big with child with a stool or a blow of his foot being wrought upon by the accusations of his concubines whom he afterward burned He sent one day to Threspotos upon the River Acheron to enquire by Necromancy concerning a depositum Melissa appearing said she would not tell them in what place it was laid because she was cold and naked the clothes wherein she was buried doing her no good for they were not burned confirming the truth whereof by Perianders puting bread into a cold oven which answer carried to Periander made good the suspition that through excesse of love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hereupon he caused proclamation to be made that all the Corinthian women should come to Iuno's Temple to celebrate a festivall attyred in their richest ornaments when they came having placed a guard of souldiers in ambush he striped them all without any distinction free women and servants of their clothes which he carried to Melissas grave and having praid burn'd them to her This done he sent messengers to enquire the second time to whom Melissa's Ghost appeared and told them where the depositum was laid CHAP. VI. Of his Children HEe had by Melissa two sons Cypsalus and Lycophron the younger ingenious the elder a foole he had likewise a daughter his elder sonne at the time of his mothers death was eighteen yeares old the younger seventeen These their Grandfather by the mothers side Procleus Tyrant of Epidaurus sent for over to him and loved them much as in reason he ought being the children of his owne daughter when he was to send them back he said to them doe you know children who slew your mother the elder tooke no heede to that speech but Lycophron the younger was so troubled at it that when he came to Corinth he neither spoke to his father nor would make him any answer looking upon him as the murderer of his mother where â—at Periander at length became so incensed that he turned him out of doores He being gone Periander questioned the Elder what discourse his Grandfather had with him hee related to him how kindly he used him but told nothing of that which Procleus had said to tâ—em at their departure for he had not taken any notice of it Periander said it was not possible but that hee should say something more and pressed him more strictly at last he calling it to mind told him this also which Periander resenting and not willing to use his son more mildly sent to the people with whom he lived in his ejection forbidding them to receive him into any of their houses Turned out of that wherin he was he sought to goe into another but was denied Periander having threatned those that should entertaine him and commanded all to drive him away expelled thence he went to another of his acquaintance who knowing him the sonne of Periander entertained him though with feare at length Periander proclaimed that whosoever received him into their house or spoke to him should pay what fine to Apollo he should impose from that time none durst venture to entertaine him or speake to him nor would he himselfe make tryall of a thing which he knew to be desperate but passed his time in the common walkes Foure dayes after Periander seeing him poore and extenuated with fasting tooke compassion of him and laying aside his anger drew nigh to him and said Son which is better to undergoe what you now suffer or by obeying your father to enjoy my wealth and kingdome you being my son and next heire to the Kingdome of fruitful Corinth have made choice of the life of a Vagabond angerly opposing him whom you ought not to oppose if any unhappinesse befell in those things whereof you suspect me it befell me and I have so much the greater share therein in being the instrument thereof heare how much better it is to be envied then to bee pittied and what it is to be angry with our parents or betters In these words Periander reproved his son who made him no other answer then That he ought to pay a fine to the God for speaking to him Periander perceiving the evill of his sonne to be incurable removed him out of his fight and sending him by ship to Corcyra of which he was also Tyrant having thus disposed of him he made war with his father in Law Procleus as the chiefe cause of all that happened Laertius mentions an Epistle which he sent him to this effect Periander to Procleus Wee committed unwillingly that crime upon your Daughter but you if willingly you alienate my Sons minde from me you doe unjustly therefore either soâ—ten his minde towards me or I shall revenge this injury I have satisfied your daughter by burning in her honour the garments of all the women of Corinth In fine he tooke Epidaurus and Proclus therein whom he preserved alive In processe of time Periander growiâ—g old and knowing himselfe to bee no longer fit for the charge of the common-wealth sent to Corcyra to invite Lycophron to the government of the Kingdome conceiving his eldest son uncapeable of that office by reason of his stupidity Lycophron would not vouchsafe so much as to speake to the messenger Periander affectionate to him sent the second time his sons sister his owne daughter hoping he would be sooner perswaded by her shee comming said to him Brother had you rather the Kingdome should fall into the hands of others and our fathers house be dispersed then goe home and have it your selfe returne to your owne house injure your selfe no longer obstinacy is an unhappy inheritance oure not one evill with another many prefer compliance before justice many in pursuit of their mothers right lose their fathers Kingdome a Kingdome is a slippery thing coveted by many our father is old and feeble give not your owne goods to others thus she pleaded to him as her father had instructed her he answered he would nâ—ver come to Corinth whilst his father lived there which as soone as Periander understood he sent a messenger the third time to let him know hee would remove to Corcyra and to command him to come to Corinth to take the government upon him to thiâ— the sonne assented Periander prepared for Corcyra his sonne for Corinth the people of Corcyra informed hereof that Periander might not come into their country kill'd his son in revenge of which fact Periander sent three hundred boyes of the chiefe of the
sat still by him admiring in the soundnesse of his sleep the happy equality of his mind assoon as he waked he told him that he came to bring sad newes if not such to him yet to all his friends that the ship would certainly be at home to morrow at furthest some that came from Sunium affirming they had left it there but that in all likelyhood it would come that day and he should dye the next In good timebe it answered Socrates but I do not beleeve it will come to day for the day following I must dye as they say who have the power in their hands but that I shall not dye to morrow but the day after I guesse by a dream I had this night that a woman very beautifull in a white garment saluted me by my name saying Thou e e three daies are told Rich Pthya shalt behold The same relation according to Laertius he made to Aeschines This occasion Crito took to perswade him to save himselfeâ— which he prest with many arguments That his friends would be accused of covetousnesse as more desirous to spare their wealth then to redeem him that it might be effected with little trouble and expence to them who were provided for it that himselfe was rich enough to do it or if not Simmias Cebes and others would joyne with him that he ought not voluntarily to thrust himselfe into destruction when he might avoid it that he should leave his children in an uncertain mean estate that it would not be construed constancy but want of courage Consider well these reasons saith he or rather for it is now no time to stand considering be perswaded what is to be done must be done this nightâ— or it will be too late Socrates answered that his cheerfull readinesse to relieve him was much to be esteemed if agreeable to justice otherwise the lesse just the more blamable that opinion and censure ought not to be regarded but truth and equity that wrong must not be requiâ—ed with wrong that faith should be kept more strictly with a City then with private persons that he had voluntarily subjected himselfe to the lawes of his Country by living under their government and to violate them at last were great in justice that by breaking Prison he should not only draw his friends into many inconveniences but himselfe also into many dangers only to live and dye in exile that it such a condition he should be nothing more capable to bring up his children well but dying honestly his friends would take the more care of them That whatsoever inconvenience might ensue nothing was to be preferred before justice that it he should escape by treachery the remainder of his life would be never the more happy nor himselfe after death better entertain'd in the next world These things saith he I hear like the Corybantian pipes the sound of these words makes me dease to every thing else therefore whatever you shall say to the contrary will be to no purpose but if you have any other businesse speak Crito answering he had not any else as for this then concludes he speak no more of it let us go the way which God points out to us CHAP. XII THe time and manner of his death The time of Socrates death is formerly touch'd the Marble at Arundell-House saith he died when Laches was Archon aged seventy yeers which according to Plato were compleat for he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Demetrus Phalerius saith he dyed the first year of the nintie fifth Olympiad having lived seventy years Dioclorus Siculus averres it was done in that yeare Baches being Archon Although there be not any thing in the Greek story settled by better authority then the years of Socrates Leo Ailaius with much confidence and little reason controverts the received Chronology of his life and death the occasion is this the fourteenth of the Socratick Epistles publisht by him mentioneth an oration of Polycrates as spoken at the arraignment of Socraes but the Walls of Athens repaired by Conon six years after the death of Socrates being spoken of in that Oration the Epistle is thereby rendred suspicious the truth seems to be this After the death of Socrates it became an ordinary Theme in the Schooles of Rhetorick which was at that time much studied at Athens to speak for and against Socrates Polycraes a Sophister to exercise his wit wrote an invective Lyâ—ias a famous Oratour who died about the 100 Olympiad had written as we have already said an Apologetick which is by the Scholiast of Aristides cited in answer to Polycrates Apologies were in like manner written by Plato Xenophon and long after by Libanius although Isocrates admonished Polycrates of certain errors in his Oration against Socrates yet the Anachronism continued for Chronology was not yet studied in Athens and thence it is that Plato himself is in that respect so much reprehended by Aâ—henaeus Aristides Macrobius and other the writer of the Socraticall Epistle admits â—olycrates as the accuser at the triall and oration as then and there spoken so also doth Hermippus whom Laertius cites to the same effect But Phavorinus a Critick of later times when Chronology was more exact detects the errour by computation of times Allatius will by no means have the criticism of Phavortnus allowed and labours to introduce an uncertainty of the time to the end hee may perswade that Socrates lived beyond the reparation of the walls of Athens the great Engine where with he labours to demolish all that hath been afferted by the antients is the testimony of Suidas who I know not upon what authority saith he lived 80. years his smaller artillery are the groundlesse emendation of Meursius and the mistake of Scalâ—ger before noted the absurd Metachronism of the Chronicum Alexandrinum which makes Socrates die in the 104th Olympiad and in the 90th year of his age the anistoresie of the unknown writer of Aristoles life who supposeth him in the 17th year of his age to have heard Socrates three years and which is most ridiculous the notorious anachronisms of Plato must serve asirrefragable arguments to impugne the truth With these proofes in the sophisticall disguise of a Dialogue hee endeavours to puzzle the unwary reader The manner of his death receive from Plato in the person of Phaedo an Eye-witnesse Every day saith he I went with other friends of his to visit him we met in the Court where he was tried it being near the prison where we entertain'd our selves with discourse till the prison was open'd then went in unto him and spent many times the whole day with him But that day we met sooner then ordinary for the evening before as we came out of the Prison we heard the ship was come from Delos and thereupon we appointed to meet early the next morning at the usuall place where being come the Porter came out to us and told us that that we must stay a while
it was nothing to him being used to it like such as live in the continuall noise of a mill Besides saith he cannot you endure the cackling of hens but they answered Alcibiades bring me Eggs and chickens and my Xantippe replies Socrates children Of her impatience and his sufferance there are severall instances one day before some of his friends she fell into the usuall extravagance of her passion whereupon he not answering anything went forth with them but was no sooner out of the doore when she running up into the chamber threw down water upon his head whereat turning to his friends did I not tell you saith he that after so much thunder we should have rain Another time she pulled his Cloak off from his shoulders in the open Forum some friends present counselled him to beat her Yes saith he that whilst we two fight you may all stand by and cry Well done Socrates to him Xantippe To some other story in the same kind Antoninus alludes in these words how Socrates looked when he was sain to gird himselfe with askin Xantippe having taken his cloths away and carried them forth with her and what he said to his friends who out of a modest respectsulnesse went back secing him so attired Having brought Euthydemus from the Palaestrae to dine with him Xantippe running to the table angry and scolding overturned it Euthydemus much troubled rose up and would have gone away when Socrates did not a Hen saith he the other day did the very samething at your house yet I was not angry thereat Alcibiades having sent him a crious march-pane Xantippe furiously as her manner was threw it our of the basket and trode upon it whereat Socrates laughing and shall not you saith he lose your share in it Another time she offered to go to a publick show attired undecently take heed saith he you be not rather the spectacle then the spectatour With reason therefore he said I had three evills Grammer Poesy and an ill wife two I have shaken off but my ill wife I cannot His other wife was named Myrto Niece to Lystmachus daughter of 〈◊〉 not the just as Laertius and from him Suidas affirm but another of that name the 3d. from him as is observed by Atheâ—aeus for the two daughters of Aristides the just could not but be of great age before the 77. Olympiad wherein Socrates was born long before which time Aristides died an old man in Exile for that Themistocles died the second year of the 77. Olympiad is certain and as Aemilius Probus affirms Aristides dyed four years before Themistocles was banished Athens hereupon Plutarch more cautioâ—sly calls her not the daughter but Niece of Aristides Some because Xantippe as is manifest from Plato outlived him believe he was first married to Myrto but that he had both these wives at the same time which is attested by Demetrius Pholereus Aristoxenus to whom Athenaeus saith that Aristotle gave the ground Callisthenes and Porphyrius whence Aristippus in his Epistle to his daughter Myrto adviseth her to go to Athens and above all to honour Xantippe and Myrto and to live with them as he with Socrates The occasion whereupon the Atheâ—ans who from the time of Cecrops had strictly observed single marriage allowed bigamy in the time of Socrates was this In the second year of the 87 Olympiad and the third of the 88. Athens was visited extreamly with the pestilence which attended by war and famine occasioned to great a searcity of men that they made in edict it might to be lawfull for any that would to take two wives Euripides made use of this indulgence and that Socrates also did so is attested by Satyrus the peripatetick and Hieronymus the Rhodian who recorded the order to which Athenaeus imputes the silence of the Comick Poets in this particular who omitted no grounds of reproach Plutarch implies that he took her out of charity for she was a widdow without any portion or dower extreamly in want Perphyrius reports that these two Xantippe and Myrto quarrell'd they would at last fall both upon Socrates and beat him because he stood by and never parted them but laughed as well when they fought with him as with one antother By Xantippe hee had a son named Lamprocles who could not brook her impatience so well as his Father and being 〈◊〉 by her into disobedience was reclaimed by Socrates Hee died young as may be gathered from Plutarch who saith Timâ—chus of Chaeroâ—ca dying very young desired earnestly of Socrates that he might be buried near his son Lamprocles who died but few daies before being his dear friend and of the same age It appears from Plato that he had more sons by her for in his Apology he mentions three two grown men the other child which seems to be the same brought by Xantippe to him in prison the day of his death and as Plato describes it held in her lap By Myrto he had two sons the eldest Sophroniscus the youngest Menedemus or Menexenus though some say he had Menedemus by Xantippe CHAP. XVII His Scholers and Auditors WHeras saith Cicero many springing from Socrates by reason that out of his severall various disputes diffused every where one many servrall Families differing amongst themselves much disioyned and disagreeing yet all these Philosophers would be called and conceived themselves to be Socraticks of these were Plato from whom came Aristotle and Xenocrates the first taking the name of Peripatetick the other of Academick Antisthenes who chiesly affected the patience and bardinesse in Socrates his discourse from whom came first the Cynicks then the Stoicks Aristippus who was more delighted with his more volupuous disputations from him sprung the cyrenaick Philosophy Others there were who likewise called themselves Socraticks but their sects by the strength and arguments of the former are broken and quite extinxct such were Phaedo an Elean who instituted a particular school from him called Eliack which aâ—terwards was called Eretriack from Menedemus who taught at Eretia from him Pyrrho thence the Pyrrhonians Euclid of Megara Institutor of the Magarick school of named from him from Clinomachus his Disciple called the Diatectick ending in Zeno the Cittiean who introduced the stoick The Herillians are named also as a Scot that would be called Socratick To these recited by Cicero Suidas addes Bryso of Heraclea who together with Euclid invented disputative logick Theodorus sirnamed the Atheist who invented a peculiar sect called Theodorean the opinion which hee taught was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indifference Other Disciples of Socrates there were who followed his Philosophy not appropriating out of it any particular sect and therefore most properly deserve the title of Socraticks such are Crito Chaerephon Xenophon Aeschines Simmias Cebes Glauco and Terpsion The last kind of his auditours were those who made no profession of Philosophy of whom were Critias and Alcibiades who afterwards proved the
Oratour who dyed and left me all he had I tore and burnt his Papers went to Athens and there applyed my selfe to Philosophy This is the blood and race I boast to own Thus much concerning my selfe Let Perseus therefore and Philonides forbear to enquire after these things and look you upon me as I am in my selfe You do not use O King when you send for Archers to enquire of what Parentage they are but set them up a mark to shoot at Even so of friends you should not examine whence but what they are Bion indeed setting this aside was of a versatile wit a subtle Sophist and gave many furtherances to the exercisers of Pâ—ilophy in some things he was He first heard Crates the Academick but despising that Sect rook a â—ordid Cloak and Scrip and became a Cynick to which Laertius ascribes his constancy expert of perturbation Then he followed Theodorus the Atheist who profest all manner of learning to whose opinions he addicted himselfe and was called a Tâ—â—odoreaâ— Afterwards he heard Theophrastus the Pâ—ripatetick CHAP. II. His Apophthegms HE left many memorialls and profitable Apophthegmes as Being reproved for not endeavouring to Catch a young man new Cheese saith he will not stick to the hook Being demanded what man is most perplexed he saith he who aimes at the highest Content To one who asked his advice whether he should marry or not for this some ascribe to Bion which Agellius to Bias the mistake perhaps grounded upon the nearnesse of their Names he answered if you take a fowl Wife she will be a Torment if a fair Common He said that Age is the Haven to which all ills have recourse That Glory is the Mother of years That beauty is a good which concerns others not our selves That Riches are the Sinewes of Things To one who had consumed his Patrimony Earth saith he devoured Amphiaraus but you devour Earth He said it is a great ill not to be able to bear ill He reproved those who burn men as having no Sense and again burn them as having Sense He used to say it is better to yeeld our own youth and Beauty to others then to attempt anothers for he that doth so injures both his body and Soul He vilified Socrates saying if he could enjoy Alcibiades and did not he was a fool if he could not he did no great matter He said the way to the next World is easie for we find it blindfold He condemned Alcibiades saying when he was a boy he drew away Husbands from their Wives when a man Wives from their Husbands At Rhodes whilst the Athenians exercised Rhetorick he taught Philosophy for which being reproved I bought Wheat saith he and shall I fell Barley He said they who are punished below would be more tormented if they carried Water in whole Vessells then in Vessells full of holes One that was extreamly talkative desiring his assistance in a businesse I will doe what I can for you saith he if you send a Messenger to me and come not your self Travelling with very ill Company they fell amongst theeves we shall be undone saith he unlesse we be known He said Arrogance is the obstruction of Virtue Of a rich man Covetous he hath not money saith he but money him He said Covetous persons keep their Wealth so strictly that they have no more use of their own then of anothers He said when we are young wee use Courage when old Wisdom Wisdom excells other Vertues as the Sight the other Senses He said no man should be reproached for old age that being a Condition all pray they may arive at it To an envious man sad I know not saith he whether some ill hath befaln you or some good another He said impiety is an ill companion to bold language For though his Speech he free To Bondage yield must hee That friends whatsoever they prove ought to be retained lest we seem to have conversed with wicked persons or to shunne Good Being Demanded if there were any Gods he said Old man wilt thou not drive this â—roud away He conceived that he might make a Field fertile sooner by praising then by manuring it He said they who love to be flattered are like Pots carried by the ear To one who asked him what folly is he said the Obstruction of Knowledge He said good men though Slaves are free but wicked men though free are slaves to many Pleasures He said Grammarians whilst they enquire after the Errors of Ulysses mind not their own nor see that they themselves go astray as well as he in taking pains about uselesse things He said Avarice is the Metropolis of all Evill Seeing a Statue of Persaeus under which was written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Persaeus of Zeno a Cittiean he said the writer mistook for it should be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Zeno's servant as indeed he was CHAP. III. His Death AT last falling sick as those of Chalcis say for he died there he was perswaded to suffer ligatures by way of charme hee recanted and profest repentance for all hee had said offensive to the Gods Hee was reduced to extream want of such things as are most necessary to sick persons untill Antigonus sent to him two servants and himself followed in a litter as Phavorinus affirms in his various History of that sicknesse he dyed on whose death thus Laertius Bion the Boristhenite By his Birth to Scythia known Did religious duties slight Gods affirming there were none If to what he then profest Firm he had continued still Then his tongue had spoke his breast And been constant though in ill But the same who Gods deni'd He who sacred fanes despis'd He who mortalls did deride When to Gods they sacrific'd Tortur'd by a long disease And of deaths pursuit afraid Guifts their anger to appease On their hearths and Altars laid Thus with smoak and incense tries To delight their sacred scent I have sinn'd not only cries And what I profest repent But unto an old wives charms Did his willing neck submit And about his feeble armes Caus'd them leather thongs to knit And a youthfull sprig of bayes Did set up before his gate Every means and way essaies To divert approaching fate Fool to think the Gods might be Brib'd with gifts their favours bought Or the sacred Deitie Were and were not as he thought But his wisdoms titles now Tum'd to ashes not avail With stretch'd arms I know not how Hail he cried great Pluto hail Of this name Laertius reckons ten The first contemporary with Pherecydes the Syrian of Proconnesus who writ two Books extant in his time The second a Syracusian wrote of the Art of Rhetorick The third this Philosopher The fourth an Abderite of the Family of Democritus a Mathematician he wrote in the Attick and Ionick Dialect He first said there were some habitable parts of the earth where it was six months day and six months night The fift of Soleis he wrote the Aethiopick
cannot be had but may be participated Some are sixt which we can neither have nor participate as to be virtuous and just Consultation is threefold From the Past by example as what befell the Lacedaemonians through overmuch confidence From the present as considering the timerousnesse of men weakness of walls scarcity of provision and the like From the Future as that Ambassadours should not be injured upon suspicion least it cast infamy upon all Greece Voice is Animate of living creatures Articulate of men Inarticulate of Beasts Iâ—animate sounds and noise Tings are Divisible compounded as Syllables Symphonies living creatures water Gold Homogeneous consist of similar parts differing from the whole onely in number as water gold and all liquid things Heterogeneous consist of dissimilar parts Indivisible compounded of nothing as a point sound Things are Absolute requiring nothing else to expresse them as a man a horse and other creatures Relatives which imply another thing as greater then others swifter fairer and the like for what is greater relates to somthing lesser and the like These according to Aristotle were Plato's divisions of first things CHAP. IX His three voyages to Sicily PLato made three voyages to Sicily the first to see the fâ—ery â—bullitions of Aetna and to improve the knowledge of States and Philosophy which he got by his other travells This was about the 40th year of his age at what time Dionysius the elder Son of Hermocrates reigned in Syracuse Plutarch saith hee was led thither by providence not fortune and that some good Genius designing a far off the liberty of the people of Syracuse brought him acquainted with Dion then very young who entertained him as his guest He much disliked the luxury of that place feasting nocturnal lucubrations and the like Conversed frequently with Dion discoursed with him of those things which were best in man and with his best arguments exhorted him thereto by which he seemed to lay grounds for the subversion of that Tyranny which afterwards hapned Dion though young was the most ingenious of all Plato's followers and most eager in pursuit of Virtue as appears as well by the testimony of Plato as his own actions Though he had been brought up by the King in an effeminate luxurious kind of life yet as soon as he tasted of Philosophy the guide to Virtue his soul was enflamed with love thereof and from his own â—andour and ingenuity was perswaded that Dionysius would be no lesse affected therewith And therefore desired him when hee was at leasure to admit and hear Plato Hereupon the Tyrant sent for him at that meeting all their discourse was concerning fortitude Plato affirmed none was further from that Virtue then a Tyrant and proceeding to speak of Justice asserted the life of the Just to be happy of the unjust miserable Dionysius was displeased at this discourse as reflecting upon himself and with the standers by for approving it at last much exasperated he asked Plato why he came into Sicily Plato answered to seek a good man it seems replyed Dyonisius you have not yet found him Laertius saith Plato disputed with him concerning Tyranny affirming that is not best which benefits our selves unlesse it be excellent also in Virtue whereat Dyonisius incensed said to him your discourse favours of old age and yours answered Plato of Tyranny Dionysius enraged commanded him to be put to death I will have saith he your head taken off at which words Xenocrates being present answered He that doth it must begin with mine but Dion and Aristomenâ—s wrought with him to revoke that sentence Dion thinking his anger would have proceeded no further sent Plato away at his own request in a Ship which carried Pollis whom Laertius calls Polis Aelian Pôlis a Lacedaemonian Captain who at that time had been sent Embassadour to Dionysius back to Greece Dionsiyus secretly desired Pollis to kill him whilst he was on Shipboard or if not by all means to sell him alledging it would be no injury to Plato for he would be as happy in bondage as at liberty as being a just man Some affirm the occasion of Dionysius his anger was because that when he asked what was the best brasse Plato answered that whereof the Statues of Aristogiton and Harmodius were made Others that it was because he was over-mastered in learning But Tzetzes rejecting these as idle fictions of Philosophers falsifiers affirms the true reason to have been that he perceived he advised Dion to possesse himselfe of the Kingdome Pollis transported him to Aegina there Charmander son of Charmandrites accused him as meriting death by a Law they had made that the first Athenian that should come to that Island should without being suffered to speak for himselfe be put to death Which Law as Phavorinus affirms he himselfe made One that was present saying in sport he is a Philosopher they set him at liberty Some say they brought him to the publick assembly to plead for himselfe where he would not speak a word but underwent all with a great courage Then they altered their intent of putting him to death and agreed to sell him for a slave Plutarch saith that upon a decree of the Aeginetae that all Athenians taken in that Island should be sold for Slaves Pollis sold him there Anniceris a Cyrenaick Philosopher being accidentally present redeemed him for twenty or as others thirty Minae and sent him to Athens to his friends they immediately returned the mony to Anniceris but he refused it saying they were not the only persons concerned in Plato's welfare Some say Dion sent the mony which he would not accept but bought therewith a little Orchard in the Academy Pollis was defeated by Chabrias and afterwards drowned in Elice The report goes that an apparition told him he suffered those things for the Philosophers sake Dionysius understanding what had happened writ to Plato to desire him not to speak ill of him Plato returned answer that he had not so much time vacant from Philosophy as to remember Dionysius To some detractours who upbraided him saying Dionysius hath cast off Plato no saith he but Plato Dionysius Dion continued to live not according to the ordinary luxury of the Sicilians and Italians but in vertue untill Dionysius died for which maligned by those who lived after Tyrannicall institutions Then considering that these documents were not practised by himselfe alone but by some others though few he entertained a hope that Dionysius the younger who succeeded his Father in the Government might become one of those to the extraordinary happinesse of himselfe and the rest of the Sicilians To this end he used many exhortations to invite him to vertue intermixed with some sentences of Plato with whom Dionysius upon this occasion became extreamly desirous to be acquainted To that effect many Letters were sent to Athens to him some from Dionysius others from Pythagoreans in Italy desiring Plato to go to Syracuse who by
who assoon as he had read it was so disaffected to life that he threw himselfe from a high wall into the Sea upon whom thus Callimachus Cleombrotus cries out farewell this light And headlong throwes himselfe int'endlesse night Not that he ought had done deserving death But Plato read and weary grew of breath The Dialogues generally noted as spurious not to say any thing of his Epinomis though some ascribe it to Philippus the Opuntian are these Midon or the Horse-courser Erixias or Erasistratus Alcyon Acephali or the Sisyphi Axiochus Phaeaces Demodochus Chelidon The seventh Epimenides Of these Alcion is ascribed by Phavorinus to Leon. His stile Aristotle saith is betwixt Prose and Verse He useth variety of names that his work may not easily be understood by the unlearned He conceiveth wisdome properly to be of intellectuall things Knowledge of reall Beings conversant about God and the soul separate from the body Properly he calleth Philosophy Wisdome being the appetition of divine Knowledge but commonly he calleth all skill knowledge as an Artificer a wise man He likewise used the same names in divers significations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies Evill he useth for Simple as Euripides in his Lycimnius of Hercules 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same word Plato sometimes takes for honest sometimes for little He likewise useth 〈◊〉 names to signifie the same thing Idaea he useth both for species and genus Exemplar both principle and cause Sometimes he useth contrary expressions to signifie the same thing Sensible he calleth a being and no being a being as having been produced no being in respect of its continuall mutation Idaea neither moveable nor permanent the same both one and many The like he useth often in other things The method of his discourse is three-fold first to declare what that is which is taught then for what reason it is asserted whether as a principall cause or as a comparison and whether to defend the Tenent or oppugne the contrary Thirdly whether it be rightly said The marks which he usually affixed to his writtings are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes Platonick words and figures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctrines and opinions proper to Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Choice expressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Corrections 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Things superfluous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Double signification or use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philosophicall institution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 agreement of opinions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Improbation Hitherto Laertius There are two Epistles under Plato's name besides those in his works already mentioned one in Laertius his life of Architas Plato to Architas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THe Commentaries which came from you we received with extraordinary content infinitely admiring the writer who appears to us a person worthy of those antient predecessors for those men are said to be Myraeans of those Trojans which were banished in the time of Laomedon good men as Tradition speaks them Those Commentaries of mine concerning which you write are not yet polished however as they are I have sent them to you in the keeping of them we agree both so as I nâ—ed not give you any directions Farewell Another published by Leo Allatius amongst the Socratick Epistles I had not any of those things to send to Syracuse which Archytas desired to receive by you as soon as possible I will send to you Philosophy hath wrought in me I know not whether good or bad a hatred of conversing with many persons justly I think since they erre in all kind of folly as well in private as publick affairs but if unjustly yet know I can hardly live and breath otherwise For this reason I have fled out of the City as out of a Den of wild Beasts living not far from the Ephestiades and the places thereabouts I now see that Timon hated not men he could not affect Beasts therefore lived â— alone by himself perhaps not without danger Take this as you please my resolution is to live far from the City now and for ever hereafter as long as God shall grant me life In Poesy he writ Dithyrambs An Epick Poem Four Tragedies all which as we said he burned The Atlantick story of which thus Plutarch Solon begun the Atlantick story which he had learnt of the Priests of Sais very proper for the Athenians but gave it over by reason of his old age and the largenesse of the work Plato took the same argument as a wast piece of fertile ground fallen to him by hereditary right He manured it refined it enclosed it with large Walls Porches and Galleries such as never any Fable or Poem had before but because he undertook it late he was prevented by Death The more things written delight the more their not being perfected is For as the Athenian City left the Temple of Jupiter so Plato's Wisdom amongst many exâ—â—llent writings left the Atlantick argument alone imperfect Epigrams of which these are extant in Laertius and the Anthologie Upon one named After The Stars my Star thou view'st Heav'n I would be That I with thousand eyes might gaze on Thee Upon his Death A Phosphor 'mongst the living late wert thou But shin'st among the dead a Hesper now Epitaph on Dion engrav'd on his Tomb at Siracuse Old Hecuba the Trojan Matron's years Were interwoven by the Fates with Tears But thee with blooming hopes my Dion deckt Gods did a Trophy of their pow'r erect Thy honour'd reliques in their Country rest Ah Dion whose love rages in my breast On Alexis Fair is Alexis I no sooner said When every one his eyes that way convey'd My soul as when some dog a bone we show Who snatcheth it lost we not Phaedrus so On Archaeanassa To Archae'nassa on whose furrow'd brow Love sits in triumph I my service vow If her declining Graces shine so bright What flames felt you who saw her noon of light On Agathon My Soul when I kiss'd Agathon did start Up to my lip just ready to depart To Xantippe An Apple I Love's emblem at the throw Thou in exchange thy Virgin-zone bestow If thou refuse my suite yet read in this How short thy years how frail thy Beauty is I cast the apple loving those love thee Xantippe yeeld for soon both old will be On the Eretrians vanquish'd by the Persians We in Eubaea born Eretrians are Buried in Susa from our Country far Venus and the Muses Virgins said Venus to the Muses pay Homage to us or Love shall wound your Hearts The Muses answer'd take these toyes away Our Breasts are proof against his childish darts Fortune exchang'd One finding Gold in change the halter quits Missing his Gold 'tother the halter knits On Sappho He who believes the Muses Nine mistakes For Lesbian Sappho ten their number makes Time Time all things bring to passe a change creates In Names in Formes in Nations and
made no more show then as if he had heard nothing and was altogether such as Melanthius the Painter in his Books of Pictureâ—hath describ'd him for hesaith in his actions was expressed a stubbornnesse and hardnesse Polemo used to say we ought to exercise our selves in things not in Dialectick Disciplines lest satisfying our selves with the tast and meditation of the superficiall parts of Science we become admired for subtlety in discourse but contradict our selves in the practise of our life He was facete and ingenious shunning that which Aristophanes imputes to Euripides sowernesse and harshnesse He taught not sitting but walking The Athenians much honour'd him for his great Integrity hee tooke great delight in Solitude whence for the most part he dwelt in a Garden about which his Disciples built themselves little lodges near to his School He was a studious imitatour of Xeâ—ocrates who Aristippus saith much loved him alwaies remembring his innocence severity and gravity to which like a Dorick measure he conformed his owne steps Antigonus Carystius saith that from the thirtieth year of his age to his death he drunk nothing but water He held that the World is God He much affected Sophocles chiefly in those places where to use the phrase of the Comick Poet a Molossian dog seemeth to have written together with him And whereas Phrynicus saith he was Not sweet nor flat but gently smooth he said that Homer was an Epick Sopâ—ocles Sophocles a Tragick Homer He died very old of a consumption and left behind him many writings Laertius hath this Epigram upon him Wert thou not told that Polemo lies here On whom slow sickness man's worst passion prey'd No 't is the robe of flesh he us'd to wear Which ere to Heav'n he mounted down he laid Of his Disciples are remembred Crates Zeno the Stoick and Arcesilaus CRATES CRATES was a Thriasian Son of Antigenes he was an Auditor of Polemo and loved by him He succeeded him in the government of his School They both profited so much by one another that living they onely follow'd the same institutes but even to their last ends were alike and being dead were buried in the same Sepulchre Upon which occasion Antagoras writ thus upon them both Who ere thou art say ere thou passest by Crates and Polemo here buried lie Both for their mutual love no less admir'd Then for their eloquence by which inspir'd O th' wisdom they profess'd the age was proud Yet gladly to their sacred precepts bow'd Hence Arcesilaus when he went from Theophrastus and apply'd himself to them said they were Gods or certain reliques of the golden age They were nothing popular but what Dionysiodorus an antient Musician was wont to say may be apply'd to these when he boasted that none had ever heard him sing as they had Ismenius nor had ever seen him in a Ship or at the Fountains Antigonus saith that he sojourn'd at Crantors when he Arcesilaus lived most friendly and that Arcesilaus dwelt with Crantor Polemo with Crates together with Lysicâ—es who was one of the Citizens and truly Polemo as is before mention'd loved Crates Crantor Arcesilaus But Crates dying as Apollodorus in the third of his Chronicle left Books which he had written partly of Philosophy partly of Comedy Orations suited for publick pleading or Embassie He had many eminent disciples of whom was Arcesilaus Biâ—n the Boristhenite afterwards called a Theodorean from that Sect. There were ten of this name The First an antient Comick Poet. The Second an Oratour of the Family of Isocrates The Third an Ingeneer that went along with Alexander in his expeditions The Fourth a Cynick The Fift a Peripatetick The Sixt this Academick The Seventh a Grammarian The Eighth writ of Geometry The Ninth an Epigrammatick Poet. The Tenth of Tarsis an Academick Philosopher CRANTOR CRantor was of Soli much admired in his own Country He came to Athens where hee heard Xenocrates and studied with Poleomo He writ Commentaries 3000. Verses whereof some ascribe part to Arcesilaus Being asked how he came to be taken with Polemo but answer'd from the tone of his speechâ— never exalted nor depress'd Falling sick he went to the Temple of Aesculapius and walked there where many resorted to him from severall parts not thinking he stai'd in respect of his sicknesse but that he meant to erect a School in that place amongst the rest came Arcesilaus whom though he lov'd him very much he recommended to Polemo whom he himself after his recovery heard also and was extreamly taken with him He bequeath'd his estate amounting to 12. Talents to Arcesilaus who asking him where he would be buried he answer'd In Earth's kind bosom happy 'tis to lie He is said to have written Poems and to have deposited them sealed up in his own Country in the Temple of Minerva of him thus Theaetetus Pleasing to men but to the Muses more Crantor too soon of life was dispossest Earth his cold body we to thee restore That in thy arms he peacefully may rest Crantor above all admired Homer and Euripides saying it was hard in proper language to speak at once tragically and passionately and quoted this verse out of his Bellerophon Alas yet why alas Through such fate mortals passe Antagoras the Poet alledgeth these verses as written by him My Soul 's in doubt for doubtlesse is his race Whether I love first of all Gods shall place Which drew from Erebus their old descent And Night beyond the Oceans vast extent Or whether to bright Venus or to Earth Thou owest thy double form and sacred birth He was very ingenious in imposing apt names He said of an ill Poet that his verses were full of moths and of Tâ—eophrastus that his Theses were written in a shell He wrote a Treatise concerning Griefe which was generally much admired as Cicero and Laertius attest He died before Polemo and Crates of the dropsy ARCESILAVS CHAP. I. His Country Parents Teachers ARcesilaus whom Cicero calls Arcesilas was a Pitanean of Aeolis his Father according to Apolloâ—orus in the third of his Chronologicks named Seuthus or as others Scythus He was the youngest of foure brethren two by the same Father only the other by the same Mother the eldest was named Pylades of those who had the same Father the eldest was Maereas Guardian to his Brother Arcesilaus He was born by computation from his death which was in the fourth year of the hundred thirty and fourth Olympiad the seventy fift of his age in the first year of the hundred and sixteenth Olympiad He first heard Autolychus the Mathematician his Country-man before he came to Athens with whom he travelled to Sardis Next he heard Xanthus an Athenian a Master of Musick He heard also Hippoâ—icus the Geometrician who excepting his skill in that Art was otherwise a gaping dull fellow for which Arcesilaus deriding him said Geometry flew into his mouth as he gaped Of Hipponicus falling mad he took so great
proceeded only from ignorance yet that so great that Patricius argues from thence neither Ammonius not Philoponus to be the Authors of his life so are there some other errours which no lesse manifestly appear to have proceeded from malice raised it is likely by the Authors of the other scandalls and imputations wherewith they sought to blast his memory Some affirm that Alexander upon the treason of Callisthenes took a great displeasure against Aristotle for having recommended him to him For though at first writing to Criterus Attalus and Alcetas immediately upon this accident he sent them word that the youths had confessed the plot proceeded only from themselves not by the instigation of any other Yet afterwards in an Epistle to Antipater he imputes the same crime to Callisthenes not without this sharp reflection upon Aristotle The youths saith he were stoned to death by the Macedonians but as for the Sophist I will punish him my selfe and those who sent him and those who entertain in their Cities such as are Traitors to me Hereupon they interpret the bounty of Alexander to Xenocrates and favour to Anaximenes as not proceeding from the magnificence of his disposition but from the displeasure he had conceived against Aristotle whom he endeavoured to vex by obliging his adversaries and aemulators Upon this supposed displeasure was grounded another report that Aristotle conspiring with Cassander against Alexander sent him by Antipater some of the water of Styx wherewith he poisoned Alexander But the Relators hereof differ not a little amongst themselves Diodorus Siculus and Suidas affirme that Alexander was poisoned by Cassander son of Antipater Arianus by Iolla his younger son Porphyrius saith that nothing but the horn of an Asse such as the Asses of Scythia had would contain the poyson Iustine and Pausanias the hoofe of a Horse Pliny and Arrian of a Mule Plutarch and Zonaras of an Asse They differ no lesse about the place whence the water was fetch'd Neither indeed can it be expected there should be a better harmony amongst the Relators of this Fable when there is so great dissention and variety of relations concerning the occasion and manner of his death But the most creditable is that of Ephippus cited by Athenaeus Orosius Iustine and others who averr that Alexander died of a Feaver caused by excesse of drinking CHAP. IX Vpon what occasion he left Athens and went to Chalcis TWelve years Aristoâ—le professed Philosophy in the Lyceum not molested by any for though his eminence in Learning procured him many Aemulators and enemies yet the favour he had with Alexander whilst he lived awed them so much that they durst not make any discovery of the ill will they bore him No sooner was Alexander dead according to Diâ—nysius Halicarnassaeus but some of them conspired against his life To which end Eurymedon a Priest or according to Phaâ—orinus Demophilus accused him of impiety that he introduced some Philosophicall assertions contrary to the Religion of the Athenians that he celebrated Hermias as a God with a hymne and had caused his statue to be set up in the Delphian Temple with an honourable inscription Some affirm hereupon he made an Oration in defence of himselfe at the Court of Areopaâ—us wherein he openly pronounced this verse made out of two in Homer Peares upon pears and figs on figs grow here By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 figs on figs reflecting upon the multitude of Sycopâ—aâ—ts which sprung up every day in the City Hence Phavorâ—nus saith he was the first Philosopher that pleaded for himselfe and there was an Oration to that purpose went about many years after under his name But of the truth hereof Athenaeus maketh question Others affirm that Aristotle perceiving the conspiracy that was against his life stole privately out of Athens and went to Chalcis where he spent the rest of his daies returning to his friends who demanded the reason of his going this answer We left Athens that we might not give the Athenians occasion to commit again the same wickednesse they committed against Socrates that they miâ—ht not be guilty of a double crime against Philosophy To Antipater he wrote the fore-mentioned verse Pears upon pears and figs on figs grow here Giving him to understand how dangerous it was for him to live in Athens since the Athenians were wholly addicted to Sycophantisme and calumny This departure of Aristotle from Athens Dionysius Halicarnâ—ssaeus placeth in the second year of the hundred and fourteenth Olympiad Apollodorus a yeer latter perhaps lesse rightly Being neer sixtie two yeers of age very sickly and without hope of living much longer the whole company of his followers came to him and besought him to make choice of a Successor whom after his death they might look upon as the perfecter of those studies whereinto he had brought them There were at that time many excellent Scholars in his School but especially two Theophrastus and Menedemus or rather as Patricius reads Eudemus These excelled the rest in Wit and Learning The first was of Lesbos Eudemus of Rhodes Aristotle answered them he would do as they requested when he saw it convenient Soon after the same persons being present who had made this request to him he complained the wine which he then drank did not agree with his health but was unwholsome and harsh and therefore desired they would send for other sorts both Râ—odian and Lesbian saying he would make use of that which he should finde best for him They go seek finde bring Aristotle first calls for the Rhodian tasts it a strong wine saith he and pleasant then calls for the Lesbian which having tasted both saith he are good but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lesbian is the sweeter whereby every one understood that his choice was not of the wine but of his successour which was Theophrastus of Lesbos a man of extraordinary sweetnesse in discourse and conversation Whence not long after assoon as Aristotle was dead all his Disciples applyed themselves to Theophrastus CHAP. X. His Apophthegms OF his Apophthegmes are remembered these Being demanded what a man got by lying he answered not to be believed when he spoke truth Being reproved for giving mony to a wicked man I saith he gave it compassionating not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the condition but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as Stobaeus not to the man but to humanity He used this saying frequently amongst his disciples and friends the eye recâ—ives light from the air the soul â—rom learning Inveighing against the Athenians he said They had invented two things Corn and Law but made use only of one the Corn. He said The root of learning is bitter the fruit sweet Being demanded what growes old soonest he answered a Benefit Being demanded what is Hope he answered a waking Dream Diogenes the Cynick offered him a fig Aristotle 〈◊〉 that Diogenes had prepared some sharp saying in case he should
when it is present only excited by the phantasy The object of the Theoretick Intellect is true or false of the practick good or ill The rationall soul in some manner is every thing for that which actually knoweth is in some maner the same with the thing known CHAP. XXIII Of the Motive faculty BEsides the nutritive sensitive and intellective faculties there is also a motive faculty in animate creatures That it is not the same with the nutritive is manifest in as much as it proceeds from imagination and apprehension which plants have not neither have they organs fit for motion which nature would have given them if they had this power That it is not the same with the sensitive appears in that some animals which have sense have not the power as Zoophytes which have not the organs fit for this motion Neither is it the same with the Theoretick Intellect for that judgeth not as to action but progressive motion is the action of an animal flying ill or pursuing good The principles of locall motion in animals are the practick Intellect under which is comprehended phantasy and appetite These two direct and impell the motive faculty to action intellect and phantasy by directing what is to be shunned what to be embraced appetite by shunning or embracing it Appetite is the chief principle thereof for that may move without intellect as in beasts and many times in men who desert their reason to follow their pleasure But intellect never moveth without appetite that is will for appetite is the principle of all motion honest and dishonest intellect only of honest motion In man appetite is two-fold Will which followeth the judgment of reason and sensuall appetite irascible or concupiscible which followeth sense and phantasy In the motion of animals three things are considered First that which moveth and that is two-fold the appetible object which moveth the appetite as a finall cause not as an efficient and the appetite it selfe which being moved by the appetible object moveth the animall Secondly by what it moves which is the heart of the animal by which instrument the appetible object moveth it Thirdly that which is moved the animall it selfe perfect Insects are moved locally as perfect animals are and consequently by the same principles appetite and phantasy but this phantasy is imperfect diffused through the whole body as appeareth by their uncertain motion only towards present occurrent objects That they have appetite is manifest in as much as they are sensible of pain and pleasure Beasts have sensitive phantasie only rationall creatures deliberative which compareth many things conducing to some foreknown end and chooseth the most expedient Yet somtimes the sensitive appetite in man overswayeth the rationall but by the order of nature the will which is the rationall ought as being the superiour to it to oversway the sensitive Thus there are three motions one of the will commanding another of the sensitive appetite resisting and a third of the body obeying But when the sensitive overruleth there are only two motions for the will resists not but is deceived CHAP. XIV Of Life and Death GEneration and dissolution are common to all living Creatures though all are not produced and dissolved in the same manner The generation of a living Creature is the first conjunction of the nutritive Soul with the naturall heat Life is the permanence of that Soul with the said heat Youth is the encrease of the first refrigerative part age the decrease thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the constant and perfect life which is betwixt both As long as an animate Creature liveth it hath naturall heat within it self and as soon as that faileth dieth The principle of this heat is in the heart If it be extinguish'd in any other part the Animal may live but if in the heart it cannot This heat is extinguish'd two waies first by consumption when it faileth of it self secondly by extinction from some contrary as in violent death the cause is the same in both defect of aliment which in the living Creature is its vital moisture as fire wanting refrigeration groweth more violent and soone consumeth the humidity which being gone it self must of necessity go out Refrigeration therefore is necessary to the conservation of the naturall heat Plants are refrigerated by the ambient air and by aliment their naturall heat is extinguish'd by excessive cold and dry'd up by excessive heat Animals which live in the air or in the water are refrigerated by the air or water some by breathing others without Death according to the extinction of naturall heat is two-fold violent or naturall violent when the cause is extrinsecall naturall when the principle thereof is in the animate Creature For that part wheron life dependeth the Lungs is so ordered by nature that its cannot perform its office for ever Death therefore cometh from defect of heat when through want of refrigeration the radicall humidity is consumed and dry'd up Refrigeration faileth naturally when by progresse of time the lungs in Creatâ—res that have breath the gils in fishes grow so hard that they are unapt for motion Old men die easily as having but little naturall heat and without pain because his dissolution comes not from any violent affection The lives of living Creatures as well of the same as of divers species differ in length the longest life most commonly is that of some Plants as the Palm and Cypresse that of Creatures which have blood rather then the bloodlesse that of terrestriall creatures rather then the aquatile that of those which have great bodies as of Elephants rather then those of little The causes of long life are first the quantity and quality of the vitall moisture if it be much and fat not easily dry'd up nor congealed Secondly natural hear which suffereth not that humour to be congealed Thirdly a due proportion betwixt this heat and that moisture Fourthly fewnesse of excrements for excrements are contrary to Nature and somtimes corrupt nature it self somtimes a part Salacious creatures or laborious grow soon old by reason of exiccation For the same reason men are shorter liv'd then women but more active In hot Countries animate creatures are larger and live longer then in cold Those animals which have little or no blood either are not at all produced in the Northern parts or soon dye Both Plants and Animals â—f they take not aliment die for the naturall heat when the aliment faileth consumeth the matter it self wherein it is the vitall moisture Aquatile creatures are shorter liv'd then the terrestriall and the bloodlesse then those that have blood because their humidity is more waterish and consequently more apt to be congealed and corrupted Plants live long as having lesse of waterish moisture which therefore is not so apt to be congealed The largenesse of the upper parts as well in Plants as Animals is a signe of long life because it argues much naturall
sent him a dish full of bones with this message It was meat for doggs he answer'd Yea but not sit for a King to send He said it was the same fault to give to them that deserved nothing as not to give to them that do He said As houses where there is plenty of meat are full of mice so the bodies of such as eat much are full of diseases At a Feast one giving him a great cup full of wine he threw it away for which being blamed If I had drunk it saith he not only the wine would have been lost but I also Being demanded what was hardest he answer'd To know our selves for we construe most things according to our own partiality He said Medea was a wise woman not a Witch who by labour and exercise corroborated the bodies of effeminate persons whence arose the fable that she could renew age To one that profest himselfe a Philosopher but argued litigiously he said Why do you spoile the best part of Philosophy yet would be thought a Philosopher Questioning one of those young men that followed him he was silent whereupon Diogenes Do you not think saith he it bebelongs to the same man to know when to speak and when to hold his peace Being demanded how a man should live under the authority of superiours as we do by fire saith he not too near lest it burn not too far off lest we freez Seeing some women talking privately together Behold saith he the Asp borrowes poyson from the Viper Being demanded what was the heaviest burthen the earth bears he answered an ignorant man An Astrologer in the Forum discoursing to the people and shewing them in a tablet the erratick Starrs No saith Diogenes it is not the Starres that erre but these pointing to the people Being demanded what men are the most noble They saith he who contemn wealth glory and pleasure and over-master the contraries to these poverty ignominy pain death Seeing the servants of Anaximenes carrying many goods he demanded to whom they belong'd they answer'd to Anaximenes Is he not ashamed reply'd Diogenes to have so much houshold stuffe and yet not be master of himselfe He said Vertue dwelleth neither in a rich City nor a private House He said Poverty is a selfe-taught help to Philosophy for what Philosophy endeavours to perswade by words poverty enforceth in practise To a wicked man reproaching him for his poverty I never knew saith he any man punished for poverty but many for wickednesse He called Poverty a selfe-instructing vertue To one that reproached him with poverty What mean you saith he poverty never made a Tyrant riches many Alexander seeing him asleep in his Tubb said O Tubb full of wisdome The Philosopher rising up answer'd Great King One drop of Fortune's better far Then Tubbs repleat with wisdom are To whom a stander by reply'd One drop of Wisdom Fortune's Seas excells In unwise soules misfortune ever dwells Seeing an old woman painted if this he for the living you are deceived saith he if for the dead make hast to them To one bewailing his own misfortune as that he should not die in his own Country be of comfort saith he the way to the next World is alike in every place Having a great pain in his shoulder which troubled him much one said to him in derision why dost thou not die Diogenes and free thy self from this misery he answer'd it is sit they should live who know how to order their life for you who know not what to do or say it is a convenient time to die He used to say Aristotle dineth when Philip pleaseth but Diogenes when it pleaseth Diogenes At Coriâ—th seeing Dionysius the younger who was deposed from the Kingdom of Sicily This is a life saith he you deserve not you merit rather not to live here freely and without fear but at home in perpetuall imprisonment To some who commended Plato he said what hath hee done worthy commendation having professed Philosophy so long yet never moved any to grief To one demanding how he might take the greatest revenge upon his Enemy he answered by being good and vertuous your self In commending his Master Antisthenes he would say of him of rich he made me poor and instead of a fair house made me live in a Tubb CHAP. VI. His Writings OF the Writings ascribed to him are these Dialogues Ichthyas The Geay The Leopard The Athenian people Policy Ethick art Of Riches Erotick Theodorus Hypsias Aristarchus Of Death Epistles Tragedies 7. Helena Thyestes Hercules Achilles Medea Chrysippus OEdipus Sosicrates and Satyrus affirm that none of these were written by Diogenes the Tragedies Satyrus ascribes to Philischus of Aegina Sotion affirmeth these only to have been written by Diogenes Of Vertue Of Good Erotick The poor The Tolerant The Leopard Cassander Cephalio Philiscus Aristarchus Sisiphus Ganymede Chria's Epistles CHAP. VII His Death HE died as Demetrius saith at Corinth about 90. years old the same day that Alexander died at Babylon which according to Aelian was the seventh of Thargelion in the first year of 114 tâ— Olympiad The manner of his death is variously related Eubulus saith he lived to his end with Xeniades and was buried by his Sons As he lay sick Xeniades asked him how he would be buried he answer'd with his face downwards Xeniades demanding the reason because saith he all things will be turned upside-down alluding saith Laertius to the greatnesse of the Macedonians who not long before were a poor inconsiderable people Some report that being near death he gave order that his body should be left unburied that the wild Beasts might partake of him or be thrown into a ditch and a little dust be cast over it or thrown upon a dung-hill that he might benefit his Brethren Aelian saith that being sick to death he threw himself down from a bridge which was near the Gymnasium and ordered the Keeper of the Palaestra to take his body and throw it into the River Ilissus Others affirm he died of a surfet of raw flesh others that he stopp'd his own breath others that cutting a Cuttle-fish in pieces to throw it to dogs it bit asunder a Nerve in his foot whereof he died Others affirm he died as he was going to the Olympick Games being taken with a Feaver he lay down by the way and would not suffer his friends to carry him but sitting under the shade of the next tree spoke thus to them This night I shall be a Victor or vanquished if I overcome the Feaver I will come to the Games if not I must go to the other World and drive it away by death Antisthenes saith his Friends were of opinion he stopp'd his own breath for coming as they constantly used to visit him in the Cranaeum where he lived they found him covered they did
not imagine it was sleep by reason of his great wakefulnesse but immediately putting back his Cloak perceived he was dead Hereupon there arose a contention amongst them who should bury him they fell from words to blows but the Magistrates and great ones of the City came themselves and buried him by the gate which leads to Isthmus Over the Sepulchre they placed a Column and upon it a Dog cut out of Parian stone Afterwards his own Countrymen honoured him with many brazen Statues bearing this Inscription Time doth the strongest Brasse decay Diogenes thou ne're canst dy Who to content the ready way To following Ages didst descry Laertius reckons five of this name the first of Apollonia a natural Philosopher The second a Sicionian The third this The fourth a Stoick of Seleucia The fift of Tarsis MONIMUS MOnimus was a Syracusian Disciple to Diogenes he was first servant to a Mony-changer to whom Xeniades who bought Diogenes often coming he was so taken with the worth and Vertue of the person that he counterfeited himself mad and threw all the mony from off the Table whereupon his Master turning him away he betook himself to Diogenes He followed likewise Crates the Cynick and others of that Sect which confirm'd his Master in the opinion that he was mad He was a person eloquent and learned mention'd by Menander in his Hippocomus of so great constancy that he contemned all glory for vertues sake He wrote some things which at first appearance seemed Ludicrous but contained deep serious sense as of Appetites two Books and a Protreptick ONESICRITUS Onesicritus was of Aegina or according to Demetrius an Astypalaean he had two Sons He sent the younger named Androsthenes to Athens who hearing Diogenes would not depart thence Hereupon he sent the elder named Philiscus who stayed there likewise for the same reason Lastly the Father himselfe went and was so much taken with Diogenes that he became a sedulous Auditor of him as his two sons were He was esteemed amongst the most eminent Disciples of Diogenes Laertius compares him with Xenophon one fought under Cyrus the other under Alexander One wrote the institution of Cyrus the other the praise of Alexander Their styles also were very like CRATES Crates was a Theban Son of Ascandas He was likewise reckon'd amongst the most eminent of Diogenes's Disciples yet Hippobotus saith he was not a Disciple of Diogenes but of Bryso the Achaean He flourished about the 113th Olympiad Antisthenes in his successions saith that being at a Tragedy where Telephus was represented carrying a Basket in a sordid condition he betook himselfe to the Cynicall Philosophy and selling all his estate for he was very rich having gotten together above two hundred talents he distributed it amongst the Citizens and was so constant a Professor of this Philosophy that Philemon the Comick Poet takes notice thereof in these words By him in Summer a thick Coat was worn In Winter-time so temperate a torn Diocles saith Diogenes perswaded him to part with his estate and to throw all the mony he had left into the Sea and that the house of Crates was from Alexander that of Hipparchia his Wife from Philip. Some of his neer friends that came to him to disswade him from this course of life he beat away for he was of a resolute spirit Demetrius the Magnesian saith he deposited some mony in the hands of a Banquier with this condition that if his sonnes betook themselves to any Civill employment it should be repaid again but if to Philosophy it should be distributed amongst the people for as much as a Philosopher stands in need of nothing Eratosthenes relates that having a son named Pasicles by his Wife Hipparchia assoon as he arrived at mans estate he brought him to the house of a young maid that was his slave saying This is a hereditary matrimony to you but those who commit adultery are according to the Tragedians punished with banishment or death Those who keep Concubines were according to the Comedians by luxury and drunkennesse transported to madnesse Pasicles the Disciple to Euclid was his brother He said 't is not possible to finde a man without a fault for in every Pomgranat there is at least one grain corrupt Having displeased Nicodromus a Lutinist he beat him black and blew whereupon he pasted a piece of paper on his forehead wherein was written Nicodromus did this He was exceedingly invective against common women He reproved Demetreus Phalerius for sending bread and wine to him saying I wish the fountains also produc'd bread intimating that he lived with water The Athenian Magistrates blamed him for wearing a long robe I will shew you Theophrastus saith he in the same attire which they not believing he brought them to a Barbers shop where he was sitting to be trimm'd At Thebes being beaten by the Master of the Gymnasium or as others at Corinth by Euthicrates he laughed saying He by the foot him drew And o're the threshold threw Zeno in his Chrias saith he sowed a sheep-skinn upon his cloak to appear the more deformed He was of a very unhandsome look and whilst he discoursed laughed He used to lift up his hands and say Be of good courage Grecians both for the eyes and all other parts for you shall soon see these deriders surprised by sicknesse and proclaiming you happy blame their owne slothfulnesse He said we ought so long to study Philosophy untill the leaders of the Army seem to be Horse-drivers He said they who lived with flatterers were forsaken persons living like sheep amidst wolves not with those who wish'd them well Perceiving he drew nigh to death he looked upon himselfe saying And dost thou go old friend To the next world thou whom old age doth bend For he was crooked through age To Alexander asking whether he would that his Country should be restored or not To what end saith he seeing there will come perhaps another Alexander and depopulate it He said contempt of glory and want were his Country which were not subject to Fortune and that he was Countryman to Diogenes not fearing any body Coming into the Forum where he beheld some buying others selling These saith he think themselves happy in employments contrary to one another but I think my selfe happy in having nothing to do either way To a young man followed by a great many Parasites Young man saith he I am sorry to see you so much alone He said we ought not to accept gifts from all men for vertue ought not to be maintained by vice Seeing at Delphi a golden Image of Phryne the Curtezan he cryed out This is a Trophy of the Grecian intemperance Seeing a young man highly fed and fat Unhappy youth saith he do not â—ortifie your prison He said He gained glory not by his riches but his poverty To one demanding what he should get by Philosophy You will learn saith he to open your purse
honour is the reward of vertue the wicked wanting this are justly dishonourable A wise man only is ingenuous and noble according to some of the Stoicks but others deny it referring these not to nature but institution only according to the proverb Custome is a second Nature So that ingenuity is an habit of nature or institution apt to vertue Nobility is a habit of descent or institution apt to vertue A wise man is pleasing pâ—rswasive opportune and sincere for he is expert in every thing affable in conversation and helpfull to the publick The wicked are the contrary A wise man is the best Physician for he hath considered his constitution and those things which are requisite for his health A wise man may lawfully part with his life the wicked cannot because in their life they never acquire vertue nor eschew vice But life and death are limited by offices and their contraries A wise man will accept of Empire and â—ohabit with Princes but not unlesse he porceive it may be done without danger and to much advantage A wise man never lyeth for he who speaketh a falshood is not properly said to lie unlesse it be with intent to deceive A lie may be used many waies without assent as in War against enemies or in the like necessity A wise man neither deceiveth nor is deceived for he never sinneth he useth not his sight hearing or any other sense ill He is not suspicious nor repenteth for both these are proper to fallacious assent He can no way be chang'd or erre or opinionate A wise man only though not all wise men is happy in Children in old age in death A wise man doth nothing contrary to his appetite for all such things are done with a privation and nothing adverse unforeseen happeneth to him But in the primitive time there was some wise man that did not desire or will any thing because that those things which were then present were not sufficient to be required by him A wise man is meek for meeknesse is a habit whereby things are done meekly not breaking forth into Anger A wise man is peacefull and modest Modesty is the Science of decent motion tranquillity the order of natural motions The contrary to these are seen in the wicked A wise man is free from all Calumny he calumniates none and is not calumniated by any for Calumny is a lying imputation of fained friends to which the wise are not liable for they are true friends the wicked are for they are feigned A wise man delayeth 〈◊〉 bing for delay is an omission of Office through slothfulnesse of which Hesiod Nothing deferre a year a month a day He fights aginst himself that doth delay A wise man can only incite and be incited to Vertue a fool cannot for he neglecteth praecepts and goeth no further then the words not proceeding to Action A wicked man is not desirous to hear or learn as not being capable by reason of his imprudence of what is rightly said whence it followeth that he can neither be incited nor incite to Vertue He that is capable to be incited or to incite must be prepared by Philosophy which is not competible to a wicked man for he who diligently heareth Philosopher is not prepared to Philosophy but â—e who expresseth their doctrine in their life and actions This no wicked man can do for he is prepossess'd by Vice If he should be incited Vice would pull him baâ—k but none that is vicious incited to Vertue as none sick to health Every wicked man is an exile wanting Law and Country for both these are good That a City or Country is good Cleantâ—es proveth thus If there be a habitation where those who fly for succour find justice it is good but a City is such a habitation therefore a City is good A City is taken three waies for a habitation for a convention of men and for both In the two latter significations it is called good Every wicked man is râ—stick for rusticity is ignorance of Laws and civill manners A wicked man refuseth to live according to Law and is hurtfull as a savage Beast A wicked man is tyrannical cruell violent and inâ—urious whensoever he gets an occasion A wicked man is ungratefull not obliging nor requiting for he doth nothing by Friendship A wicked man is not perseverant for perseverance is the Science of obtaining our purpose not being deterred by labour A wicked man is not capable of the right of donation Donation is the good bestowing of estimation but nothing that is good is competible to the wicked Eâ—ery wicked man is delighted with his wickednesse which wee may perceive not so much by his discourse as actions which showes that he is carried on to wickednesse THE THIRD PART CHAP. I. PHYSICK and the parts thereof PHYSICK is divided into these places Of Bodies Of Principles Of Elements Of Gods of Place Of Vacuum thus especially but generally into three places Of the world Of Elements Aitiologick of Causes That concerning the VVorld is divided into two parts whereof one Contemplation is common also to the Mathematicks concerning fixed stars and Planets as whether the Sun be of the same magnitude as he appears to be and whether the Moon be so likewise of their periods and the like The other contemplation proper only to Physick to enquire into the essence of these whether the Sun and Stars consist of matter and form whether generate or ingenerate whether animate or inanimate whether corruptible or incorruptible whether govern'd by Providence or the like The place concerning Causes is likewise twofold whereof one Contemplation is common also to medicinall disquisitions whereby they enquire concerning the principall part of the soul and those things which are produced in the Soul seed and the like The other is likewise usurped by the Mathematicks as in what manner we see what is the cause of the visuall phaâ—tasie How are made Clouds Thunder Rainbows Halo's Comets and the like CHAP. II. Of Bodies NAturall Philosophy brancheth into two parts of Corporealls and Incorporealls A body is that which doeth or sufficeth It is the sense with essence or substance and finite whatsoever is is a body for whatsoever is either doeth or suffereth Principles are Bodies void of form Elements are bodies endued with form Causes are corporâ—all because they are spirits Qualities are Corporâ—all for they are spirits and aeriall intentions which affect the parts of all things generated with form and figure Vertues Vices Arts Mâ—mory â—haâ—tasies Affections Appetitions Assents are bodies existing in the Supream part of the Soul The Soul is a Body because it maketh us to be living Creatures Night and day are bodies Voice is a body for it maketâ—â— that which is heard in a word whatsoever is is a body and a subject
and though he prais'd it as naturall yet it becommeth Curtezans rather then Gods Moreover what he saith of those that writ of Tables is false not to be found neither in Polemo nor Hipsicrates nor Antigonus but forged by himselfe In his book of a Commonwealth he allowes marriage with a mother and a daughter and repeats the same in the beginning of his book Concerning things expetible in themselves In his third book of Iustice extending to a thousand Paragraphs he advised to feed upon the very dead In his second book of Life and Transaction he affirmeth a wise man ought to take care to provide himselfe food but to what end must he provide himselfe food for Livelyhood Life is an indifferent For Pleasure Pleasure also is indifferent For Vertue that is selfe sufficient for Beatitude Such kinds of acquisition of wealth are very ridiculous If they proceed from a King there is a necessitie of complying with him if from a friend that friendship is veniall if from wisdome that wisdome is mercenary For these things saith Laertius some have inveigh'd against him CHAP. IV. His death HE died according to Apollodorus in the 143d Olympiad so supply Laertius in whom the centenary number is wanting by Suidas having lived 73 years The manner of his death is differently related Hermippus affirmes that being in the Odaeum a kinde of publick Theatre at Athens his Disciples called him away to Sacrifice and thereupon taking a draught of wine he was immediately seiz'd by a Vertigo of which at the end of five daies he died Others report he died of excessive laughter Seeing an Asseeafigs he bad his woman offer it some wine and thereat fell into such extremity of laughter that it killed him As to his person he was very little saith Laertius as appeareth by his Statue in the Ceramick which is almost hid by the horse that stands next it whence Carneades called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hid by a horse The posture of this Statue Cicero saith was sitting and stretching forth his hand Pausanias saith it was set up in the Gymnasium called Ptolomaean from the Founder not far from the Forum Laertius reckons foure more of this name The first a Physician to whom Erasistratus acknowledgeth himselfe beholding for many things The Second his sonne Physician to Ptolomy who upon the calumnies of some that maligned him was publickly punished and beaten with rods The third Disciple to Erasistratus The fourth a writer of Georgicks ZENO ZENO was of Tarsis or according to others of Siodn his Father named Dioscorides He was Disciple to Chrysippus and his successor in the School He wrote few bookes but left behinde him many Disciples DIOGENES DIOGENES was born at Seleucia he was sirnamed the Babylonian from the vicinity of that place He was Disciple of Chrysippus and is stiled by Cicero an eminent and serious Stoick Seneca relates that discoursing earnestly concerning anger a foolish young man standing by spat in his face which he took meekly and discreetly saying I am not angry but am in doubt whether I ought to be so or not He was one of the three that was sent from Athens on Embassy to Rome of which already in the life of Carâ—eades who learn'd Dialectick of him Cicero saith he lived to a great age Amongst other things he wrote a treatise of Divinaâ—ion ANTIPATER ANTIPATER was of Sidon Disciple to Diogenes the Babylonianâ— Cicero calls him a most acute person Senecae one of the great authors of the Stoicall Sect. He declined to dispute with Carneades but filled his bookes with confutations of him whence he was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the clamorous penman He disputed much against those who asserted nothing Besides other things he writ two books of Divination Cicero at the latter end of his second book of Offices saith he then was lately dead at Athens PANAETIUS PANAETIUS was of Rhodes his Ancestours eminent for Martiall affairs and exercises He was Disciple to Antipater intimate friend to â— Scipio Africanus whom he accompanyed in his journey to Alexandria Cicero calls him almost Prince of the Stoicks a person extreamly inigenous and grave worthy the familiarity of Scipio and Laelius He was a great admirer of Plato whom every where he calleth divine most wise most holy the Homer of Philosophers But his opinion of the immortality of the Soul he approved not arguing thus Whatsoever is generated dieth but soules are generated as is manifest from the likenesse of those that are begotten to their Parents not only in body but disposition His other argument was There is nothing that is grieved or pained but is subject to be sick whatsoever is subject to sicknesse is likewise subject to death souls are subject to griefe therefore they are subject to death He alone rejected Astrologicall predictions and receded from the Stoicks as to Divination yet would not positivly affirm there was no such art but only that he doubted it He wrote three books of Offices much commended by Cicero Lipsius conjectures he died old because Cicero affirmeth out of Posidonius that he lived thirty years after he had written his Bookes of offices POSIDONIUS POSIDONIUS was born at Apamea in Syria He lived at Rhodes and there managed civill affairs and taught Philosophy Pompey in his return from Syria went to Rhodes purposely to hear him and coming to his dore forbad the Lictor to knock as was the custome but he saith Pliny to whom the East and West had submitted himselfe submitted his Fases at this Gate But understanding that he was very sick of a great pain in his joynts he resolved only to give him a visit At his first coming and salutation he told him with much respect that he was extreamly sorry he could not hear him Posidonius answer'd You may for no corporeall pain shall make me frustrate the coming of so great a person And thereupon he discoursed seriously and copiously upon this subject as he lay in his bed That nothing is good but what is honest And as often as his pain took him he would say Pain it is to no purpose though thou art troublesome I will never acknowledge thou art ill He made a Sphear wherein were all the conversions of the Sun Moon and Planets exactly as they moved in the Heavens every day and night Of his writings are cited by Cicero five Bookes of Divination as also five bookes of the nature of the Gods Thus far we have a continued succession of the Stoick Philosophers the last School according to Laertius's disposition of thsoe that were descended from Thales FINIS 2  52  3  53  4  54 Pisistratus died having raigned 17 years Arist. Polit. 5. Lxiii  55  2  56  3  57  4  58  Lxiv Miltiades Hâ—l 7. 59  2  60  3  61  4  62  Lxv Â