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MORTALS AND IMMORTALS CONTRASTED.

Mortals, that are condemned to live in darkness -mortals, that fade like the leaves, emblems of imbecility, images of clay, a race lightsome and without substance, creatures of a day without wings-miserable mortals, men that flit away as dreams! give ear to us who know no decay, to us who live forever, to us who dwell on high, who flourish in immortal youth, who harbor thoughts which perish not; that having received all accurate information from us on the subject of sublimity, having learnt correctly the nature of birds, the birth of the gods, of rivers, of Erebus, and of Chaos, ye may tell Prodicus, with his philosophy, to go hang.

PEACE BE UPON THIS PLACE.

Peace be upon this place.

So Luke (x. 5)" Peace be to this house."

THE ADVANTAGES OF WINE.

Dost thou dare to find fault with wine as merely giving birth to ideas? Why, canst thou point out anything more fully engaged in the practical affairs of life? Consider for a moment: when men drink, then they are rich, they traffic, are successful in lawsuits, are happy, give aid to their friends. Come, bring out quickly a stoup of wine, that I may moisten my brain, and say something clever.

REQUISITE QUALITIES FOR A DEMAGOGUE. The other qualities requisite for a demagogue are thine-foul-mouthed, base-born, a low mean fellow. Thou possessest every quality necessary to make thy way with the mob.

A PALTRY ORATOR.

"To speak," indeed! No doubt thou wouldst cleverly take up some case that had fallen to thee, and handle it properly, tearing it in pieces like a piece of raw flesh. But knowest thou in what way thou seemest to me to be placed? Thou art like the rest of them. If thou hast anywhere pleaded some paltry suit well against a residentalien, babbling the livelong night, and talking to thyself in the streets, and drinking water, and showing thyself off, and boring thy friends, thou thoughtst thyself a dab at oratory-thou silly coxcomb!

You're like the rest of 'em-the swarm of paltry, weak pretenders.

You've made your pretty speech, perhaps, and gained a little lawsuit

Against a merchant-foreigner, by dint of waterdrinking,

And lying long awake o' nights, composing and repeating,

And studying as you walked the streets, and wearing out the patience

Of all your friends and intimates with practising beforehand:

And now you wonder at yourself, elated and delighted

At your own talent for debate-you silly, saucy coxcomb.-FRERE.

"TO BUILD THE LOFTY RHYME.”
Builders of ingenious songs.
Milton, in "Lycidas” (v. 10), says—

"Who would not sing for Lycidas? he knew
Himself to sing, and build the lofty rhyme."

AN AGED BARD.

But now, when you see him in his dotage, you do not pity him, since the pegs fall out and the tone is no longer there, and the harmony is dissonant.

Scott in his "Minstrel," says

"His withered cheek and tresses gray Seemed to have known a better day."

A DEMAGOGUE FISHING IN TROUBLED WATERS. For thou art like those who fish for eels. When the loch is tranquil, they catch nothing; but if

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THE DAYS THAT ARE GONE BY.

Truly then I was terrible so as to fear nothing; and I subdued my foes, sailing thither with the triremes; for we thought not how we should speak rightly nor how we should slander any one, but how we should be the best steersman.

Oh the days that are gone by, oh the days that are no more,

When my eye was bold and fearless, and my hand was on the oar!

Merrily then, oh merrily, I beat the brine to lath,
And the sea once crossed, sacked cities were the
foot-tracks of my path.

Oh, the days that are gone by!
Then with none was care to find
Dainty words and speech refined;
Reasoning much on taste and tact,-
Quick of tongue, but slow to act.-MITCHELL.

THE RESULTS OF DRINKING.

Drinking is bad; for it is from wine that spring the breaking of doors, and the dealing of blows, and the throwing of stones; and then the paying of money after your drunken bout.

Then, for the ways and means, say who're more skilled

Than women? They, too, are such arch-deceivers, That, when in power, they ne'er will be deceived.-SMITH.

AGRICULTURE.

A. The faithful nurse, housewife, helper, guardian, daughter, sister of beloved, peace to all men, all these epithets are applicable to me.-B. But what is your name, pray ?-A. What, Agriculture. -B. O day desired by the just and husbandmen! having seen thee with pleasure, I wish to address the vines.

DEATH.

To fear death is very great folly, for it is fated to all men to die.

ARISTOPHON.

ARISTOPHON, a comic poet, who is supposed to have belonged to the middle comedy, but nothing is known of his life or age. We know the titles of nine of his plays.

POVERTY.

The storm is evident; poverty, like a lamp, shows everything bad and annoying.

ARISTOTLE.

BORN B.C. 384-DIED B.C. 322.

ARISTOTLE, the celebrated philosopher, was a native of Stageira, a seaport town of the district of Chalcidice, which became subject to Philip of Macedon. He was son of Nicomachus, physician to Amyntas II., King of Macedon. He lost his father at an early age, and was intrusted to the guardianship of Proxenus of Atarneus in Mysia, who seems to have performed his duties in a way to entitle him to the grateful acknowledgments of his pupil. Aristotle was attracted by his love of learning to Athens, where Plato was in the zenith of his fame, and that master soon discovered the abilities of his ardent disciple. On account of his industry and unwearied efforts in search of the truth, Plato used to call him the "intellect of his

So Shakespeare (" Othello,” act ii. sc. 3)—"Every inordinate cup is unblessed, and the ingredient is a school," and say "that he needed a curb, while

devil."

WOMAN'S TIME FOR MARRIAGE IS SHORT.

Xenocrates needed the spur." For twenty years he continued to be on intimate terms with Plato,

though he had himself assembled around him a circle of admiring followers; but at the death of former pupil, Hermias, who had become ruler of Plato, B.C. 347, he left Athens, and joined his

For man, though he be gray-headed when he comes back, soon gets a young wife. But a woman's time is short within which she can expect to obtain a husband. If she allows it to slip Atarneus and Assos. When Hermias was deaway, no one cares to marry her. She sits at home speculating on the probabilities of her mar- and two years after, B.C. 342, we find him invited stroyed by the Persians. Aristotle fled to Mitylene,

riage.

THE DECEIT OF WOMEN.

A woman is most ingenious in providing money; and when she is at the head of a house, can never

by Philip, King of Macedon, to undertake the instruction and education of his son, Alexander, then thirteen years of age. The young prince became so strongly attached to him that he valued

his instructor above his own father.

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spent seven years in Macedon. In the year B.C. Then, again, it is not the same in regard to the 355, soon after Alexander succeeded to the throne, arts and the virtues, for works of art have their Aristotle returned to Athens, where he collected excellence in themselves; it is sufficient, therefore, a large number of pupils from the cities of Eu- that they should themselves possess such a charrope and Asia. There he continued for thirteen acter. Whereas virtuous deeds are just and temyears to teach his doctrines to those who after-perate, not if the deeds themselves have this charwards became distinguished as philosophers, historians, statesmen, and orators. On the death of Alexander, he was accused of impiety, which was the usual prelude to an unjust condemnation. To deprive the Athenians, as he said, of sinning a second time against philosophy, he left Athens, and spent the remainder of his life at Chalcis, in Euboea, where the Macedonian influence afforded him protection and security. Out of four hundred treatises which he is said to have composed, only forty-eight have been transmitted to the present

age:

HAPPINESS.

acter, but if the agent, who does them, has in himself this character; first, if he does them knowingly; then, if with deliberate choice, and deliberate choice on their own account; thirdly, if he does them on a fixed and unchangeable principle. Now, with regard to all other arts these ideas are not taken into account, with the exception of knowledge; whereas, with regard to virtues, mere knowledge has little or no weight, while the other qualifications are not of small but of infinite importance, since they spring from the habit of just and temperate actions.

TO HIT THE MEAN IS DIFFICULT. But concerning happiness, men cannot agree as to its true nature, and the vulgar by no means Virtue, then, is a kind of mean state, being at hold the same opinion respecting it with the edu-least apt to strike the mean. Again, it is possible cated; for some are inclined to apply it only to to go wrong in many ways (for evil, as the Pythawhat is distinct and marked in its essence, such as goreans imagined, is of the nature of the infinite, pleasure, wealth, or honor; each man thinking but good of the finite), whereas we can go right differently of it from his neighbors, and often the only in one way; therefore the former is easy, the same person entertains different opinions respect-latter is difficult; it is easy to miss a mark, difficult ing it at different times. For, when he is ill, he thinks it to be health; when poor to be riches; but, being conscious of their own ignorance, men are apt to be struck with admiration at those who say that it is something great and above them.

ONE SWALLOW DOES NOT MAKE SPRING.

For one swallow does not make spring, nor yet one fine day; so, also, neither does one day, nor a short time, make a man blessed and happy.

THE PRINCIPLE HALF OF THE WHOLE QUESTION. For the principle seems to be more than the half 'of the whole question.

THE THREE QUALITIES INCLUDED IN HAPPINESS. Happiness is the best, most honorable, and most pleasant of all things; nor are these qualities to be disjoined, as in the inscription at Delos, where it maintains "that the most just is the most honorable, that health is what is most to be desired, and the most pleasant thing is to obtain what we love:" for all these qualities exist in the best energies, and we say that these, or the best one if them, is happiness.

HAPPINESS A DIVINE GIFT.

If, then, there is anything that is a gift of the gods to men, it is surely reasonable to suppose that happiness is a divine gift, and more than anything else of human things, as it is the best.

IMPORTANCE OF EARLY EDUCATION. Therefore it is necessary to be in a certain degree trained from our very childhood, as Plato says, to feel pleasure and pain at what we ought; for this is education in its true sense.

to hit it; and for these reasons the excess and defect belong to vice, but the mean to virtue; "for we are good in one way only, but bad in all kinds of ways."

DEATH IS A LIMIT.

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Regular troops lose their courage when they see the danger greater than they expected, and when they find themselves surpassed in numbers and equipments. For they are the first to turn their backs. But the militia of a country die at their posts, as happened at Hermæum. For in their eyes it is disgraceful to fly, and death is regarded as preferable to safety procured at such a cost. The others only expose themselves to danger while they think themselves superior, but when they find that they are mistaken, they at once run away, fearing death more than dishonor. This certainly is not the character of the brave man.

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So Philippians (iii. 19)—“ Whose god is their belly, and glory young they keep out of mischief, to the old they in shame."

THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THE MAGNANIMOUS MAN.

It is the characteristic of a magnanimous man to ask no favo, or scarcely any, but to be ready to do kindness to others, to be haughty in demeanor towards men of rank and fortune, kindly towards those of the middle classes, for to rise superior to the former is difficult and honorable, over the latter it is easy; among the former there is nothing ungenerous in showing pride, among those of humble rank it is bad taste, just like making a show of strength to the weak.

FLATTERERS.

All flatterers are mercenary; and low-minded men are flatterers.

MEN-PLEASERS AND THE CROSS-GRAINED CON-
TRASTED.

are a comfort and aid in their weakness, and those in the prime of life they incite to noble deeds.

FRIENDS.

When men are friends, there is no need of justice; but when they are just, they still need friendship.

FRIENDSHIP REQUIRES TIME.

According to the proverb, it is impossible for friends to know each other till they have eaten a certain quantity of salt with each other. Nor can they be on friendly and familiar terms till they appear worthy of each other's friendship and confidence.

THE WICKED.

The wicked have no stability, for they do not remain in consistency with themselves; they continue friends only for a short time, rejoicing in

TYRANNY.

In the intercourse of society and life, in conver-each other's wickedness. sation and the affairs of the world, some men appear to be parasites, who praise everything, for the sake of giving pleasure, and never contradict an opinion, but think that they ought to give no opinion to those with whom they happen to be; others, the very opposite characters to these, who oppose everything, and are altogether regardless of the feelings of their neighbor, are called cross-trolled, and who is not possessed of all kinds of grained and quarrelsome.

TRUTH AND FALSEHOOD.

The defection of monarchy is tyranny; for both are monarchies, but the difference between them is very marked: for a tyrant thinks only of his own interests, while a king attends to those of his subjects. For he is not a king who is not uncon

goods, for such a one stands in need of nothing more; therefore he does not require to be looking after his own interests, but devotes himself to his

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SELF.

From this it is evident what is the character of the equitable man; for he who is disposed to do THE INTELLECTUAL PART CONSTITUTES EACH MAN'S such things, and is active in their performance, who does not assert his rights to the uttermost, but is willing to take something less, even though he may have law on his side, is a man of equity: this habit is equity, being a kind of justice, and not a different habit from justice.

For the good man agrees in opinion with himself, and desires the same things with all his soul; therefore he wishes what is good for himself, and what appears so, practising it: for it is the part of a good man to labor for what is good, and for his

own sake; for it is for the sake of his intellectual slave. Hence the interest of master and slave is part, which is considered to be a man's own self. identical.

MIND IS THE MAN.

And the thinking principle-or, at least, that rather than any other-must be considered to be each man's self.

A GOOD MAN IS WITHOUT REPENTANCE.

Besides, the good man has abundant subjects for reflection; he sympathizes most with himself in joys and sorrows; for the same always gives to him the same pain or sorrow, and not sometimes one thing and sometimes another. For he is, if we may be allowed to say so, without repentance.

THE COUNSELS OF GOOD MEN.

For the counsels of good men remain fixed, and do not ebb and flow like the Euripus; they desire what is just and proper.

WHY MOTHERS ARE FOND OF THEIR CHILDREN.

For this reason, also, mothers are more fond of their children than fathers are; for the bringing them forth is more painful, and they have a more certain knowledge that they are their own.

THE MASSES LED BY FEAR.

For

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He made not lord: such title to Himself
Reserving-human left from human free."

SERVED BY MANY SERVANTS THAN BY

FEW.

As in a family we are often served worse when we have many servants than a few.

(Treatises) have no power to persuade the mul- WORSE titude to do what is virtuous and honorable. the masses are formed by nature to obey, not a sense of shame, but fear; nor do they refrain from vicious things on account of disgrace, but of punishment; for they live in obedience to passion, pursuing their own pleasures and the means of gratifying them; they fly also from the contrary pains; but of what is honorable and really delight ful, they have not the slightest idea, inasmuch as they never had a taste for them. What power of reasoning, then, could bring about a change on such men as these? For it is not possible, or at least not easy to change what has been impressed for a long time upon the moral character.

EDUCATION THE DUTY OF THE STATE.

It would therefore be best that the state should pay attention to education, and on right principles, and that it should have the power to enforce it; but if it be neglected as a public measure, then it would seem to be the duty of every individual to contribute to the virtue of his children and friends, or at least to make this his deliberate pur

pose.

Sir Thomas More ("Utopia," page 21) says-"If you suffer your people to be ill educated, and their manners to be corrupted from their infancy, and then punish them for those crimes to which their first education disposed them,-you first make thieves, and then punish them."

SOME COMMAND AND SOME OBEY.

By nature some command and some obey, that all may enjoy safety; for the being that is able to foresee coming events is a ruler of nature's own appointment; whereas he who is only able to assist by bodily service, is a subordinate and natural

AFFECTION FOR ONE'S SELF IS NATURAL.
And also in regard to pleasure it is not to be ex-
pressed what a difference it makes for a man to
think that he has something his own. For possi-
bly it may not be in vain that each person has an
affection for himself, for this is natural, but self-
ishness is justly blamed. This is not merely to
love one's self, but to love one's self more than
we ought.

MORAL UNITY OF A STATE TO BE PRODUCED BY
MORAL MEANS.

But a state consisting of a multitude of beings, as we have before said, ought to be brought to unity and community by education; and he who is about to introduce education, and expects thereby to make the state excellent, will act absurdly if he thinks to fashion it by any other means than by manners, philosophy, and laws.

DIFFERENT SPECIES OF MEN.

For that golden particle, which God has mixed up in the soul of man, flies not from one to the other, but always continues with the same; for he says that some of our species have gold, and others silver, blended in their composition from the moment of their birth.

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF A CITIZEN? The truest definition of a complete citizen that can be given is probably this, that he shares in the judicial and executive part of the government.

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