*

and

they were necessary to life and commerce; was out of the way, in that they understood forbidding superfluities and curiosities. He not, nor regarded the Mind, that is, God, or was martyred for his doctrine, after having the Word, or Begotten of God, assuring lived seventy years the most admired, followed, them, Those men died most comfortably, who and visited, of all men in his time, by kings lived most conformable to right reason, and commonwealths; and than whom, anti- sought and adored the First Cause, meaning quity mentions none with more reverence and God. honour. Well were it for poor England, if her conceited Christians were true Socrates; whose strict, just and self-denying life, doth not bespeak him more famous, than it will Christians infamous at the revelation of the righteous judgment; where heathen virtue shall aggravate Christian intemperance; and their humility, the others excessive pride: and justly too, since a greater than Socrates is come, whose name they profess, but will not obey his law.†

64. PLATO, that famous philosopher and scholar to Socrates, was so grave and devoted to divine things, nay, so discreetly politic, that in his commonwealth he would not so much as harbour poetical fancies, much less open stages, as being too effeminate, and apt to withdraw the minds of youth from more noble, more manly, as well as more heavenly exercises. Plato, seeing a young man play at dice, reproved him sharply; the other answered, What! for so small a matter? Custom, saith Plato, is no small thing: let idle hours be spent more usefully. Let youth take delight in good things; for pleasures are the baits of evil. Observe; the momentary sweetness of a delicious life is followed with eternal sorrow; the short pain of the contrary with eternal pleasure.§ Being commanded to put on a purple garment by the king of Sicily, he refused, saying, He was a man, and scorned such effeminacies. Inviting Timothy, the Athenian general, to supper, he treated him with herbs, water, and such spare diet as he was accustomed to eat. Timothy's friends next day, laughing, asked, how he was entertained? he answered, Never better in his life; for he slept all night after his supper: thereby commending his temperance. He addicted himself to religious contemplations; and is said to have lived a virtuous and single life, always eyeing and obeying the Mind, which he sometimes called God, the Father of all things; affirming, Who lived so, should become like him, and so be related to, and joined with, the Divinity itself. This same Plato, upon his dying-bed, sent for his friends about him, and told them, The whole world

* Xen. Mem. 1. P. 710.

Xen. Mem. 4. Plato de Legib. + Plato de Rep.

Diog. Laert in vit. Xen. Crat. Stob. Ælian. || Alcinous.

65. ANTISTHENES, an Athenian philosopher, had taught in the study of eloquence several years; but upon hearing Socrates treat of the seriousness of religion, of the divine life, eternal rewards, &c. "bade all his scholars seek a new master; for he had found one for himself." Wherefore selling his estate, he distributed it to the poor, and betook himself wholly to the consideration of heavenly things; going cheerfully six miles every day, to hear Socrates.**-Where are the like preachers and converts amongst the people called Christians! Observe the daily pains of Socrates; surely he did not study a week to read a written sermon: we are assured of the contrary; for it was frequent with him to preach to the people at any time of the day, in the very streets, as occasion served, and as he was moved. Neither was he an hireling, or covetous; for he did it gratis: surely then he had not set benefices, tithes, glebes, &c. And let the self-denial and diligence of Antisthenes be considered, who, of a philosopher and master, became a scholar, and that a daily one: it was then matter of reproach, as it is now; showing thereby both want of knowledge, though called a philosopher, and his great desire to obtain it of one who could teach him. None of these used to go to plays, balls, treats, &c. They found more serious employ. ment for their minds, and were examples of temperance to the world. I will repeat some grave sentences, as reported by Laertius and others, namely, That those are only noble who are virtuous. That virtue was self-sufficient to happiness; that it consisteth in actions, not requiring many words, nor much learning, and is self-sufficient to wisdom: for that all other things have reference thereunto. That men should not govern by force, nor by laws, unless good, but by justice. To a friend, complaining he had lost his notes, Thou shouldest have written them upon thy mind, saith he, and not in a book. Those who would never die, must live justly and piously. Being asked, What learning was best? That, saith he, which unlearneth evil. To one that praised a life full of pleasures and delicacies; Let the sons of my enemies, saith he, live delicately: counting it the greatest misery. We ought, says he, to aim at such pleasures as follow honest labour; and

**Laert. vit. Socr. Elian.

not those which go before it.* When at any time he saw a woman richly dressed, he would, in a way of reproach, bid her husband bring out his horse and arms: meaning, if he were prepared to justify the injuries such wantonness useth to produce, he might the better allow those dangerous freedoms: otherwise, saith he, pluck off her rich and gaudy attire. He is said to have exclaimed bitterly against pleasures; often saying, I had rather be mad, than addicted to pleasure, and spend my days in decking and feeding my carcass. Those, says he, who have once learned the way to temperance and virtue, let them not offer to entangle themselves again with fruitless stories, and vain learning; nor be addicted to corporal delicacies, which dull the mind, and will divert and hinder from the pursuit of more noble and heavenly virtues.† Upon the death of his beloved master, Socrates, he instituted a sect called Cynicks; out of whom came the sect of the Stoics: both which had these common principles, which they daily, with unwearied diligence, maintained and instructed people in the knowledge of, viz. No man is wise or happy, but the good and virtuous man. That not much learning, nor study of many things, was necessary. That a wise man is never drunk nor mad: that he never sinneth; that a wise man is void of passion; that he is sincere, religious, grave: that he only is divine. That such only are priests and prophets, who have God in themselves. And that his law is imprinted in their minds, and the minds of all men. That such an one only can pray, who is innocent, meek, temperate, ingenuous, noble; a good magistrate, father, son, master, servant, and worthy of praise. On the contrary, that wicked men can be none of these.‡

Certainly these were they, who having no external law, "became a law unto themselves;" and did not abuse the knowledge they had of the invisible God; but according to their ca pacities, instructed men in the knowledge of that righteous, serious, solid and heavenly principle, which leads to true and everlasting happiness all those that embrace it.

66. XENOCRATES refused Alexander's present, and treated his ambassadors after his temperate and spare manner; saying, You see I have no need of your master's bounty, who am so well pleased with this. He would say, That one ought not to carry one's eyes, or one's hands into another man's house; that is, be a busy-body. That a man ought to be most circumspect of his actions before children, lest by example his faults should out-live himself. He said, Pride was the greatest obstruction to true knowledge. His chastity and integrity were remarkable, and reverenced in Athens: Phryne, the famous Athenian courte. zan, could not place a temptation upon him; nor Philip, king of Macedon, a bribe; though the rest sent on the embassy were corrupted. Being once brought for a witness, the judges rose up and cried out, Tender no oath to Xenocrates, for he will speak the truth! A respect they did not allow to one another. Holding his peace at some detracting discourse, they asked him, why he spoke not? Because, saith he, I have sometimes repented of speaking, but never of holding my peace.*

**

67. BION would say, That great men walk in slippery places. That it is a great mischief not to bear affliction. That ungodliness is an enemy to assurance. He said to a covetous man, That he did not possess his wealth, but his wealth possessed him; abstaining from using it, as if it were another man's. fine, That men ought to pursue a course of virtue, without regard to the praise or re

In

Their diet was slender, their food only what would satisfy nature. Their garments exceed-proach of men. ingly mean. Their habitations solitary and 68. DEMONAX, seeing the great care that homely. They affirmed, those who lived with fewest things, and were contented, most nearly approached God, who wants nothing. They voluntarily despised riches, glory and nobility, as foolish shows and vain fictions, that had no true and solid worth or happiness in them. They made all things to be good and evil, and flatly denied the idle stories of fortune and chance.§

* Stob. ibid. 117. Diog. Laert. † Agel. lib. 9. c. 5.

Laert. vir. mem. Laert. Plut. de rep. Stoi. Stob. Cic. de Nat. Deo. lib. ii. Lect. de Ira Dei. cap. 10.

Plut. Pl. Ph. 16. Cic. Tusc. Quest. 4. Diog. Laert. vit. Mem. Stob.

men had of their bodies, more than of their minds; They deck the house, saith he, but slight the master. He would say, That many are inquisitive after the make of the world, but are little concerned about their own, which were a science much more worthy of their pains. To a city that would establish the gladiators, or prize-fighters, he said, That they ought first to overthrow the altar of mercy: intimating the cruelty of such practices. One asking him, why he turned philosopher? Because, saith he, I am a man. He would say of the priests of Greece, If they could better instruct the people, they could not give them

**Laert. Val. Max. 4. 3. 2. 16. Cic. pro Val. Max. 7. 2.

too much; but if not, the people could not give them too little. He lamented the unprofitableness of good laws, by being in bad

men's hands.

him a great cup of wine, he threw it away; for which being blamed, If I had drank it, saith he, not only the wine would have been lost, but I also. One asking him, how he might order himself best? he said, By reproving those things in thyself, which thou blamest in others. Another demanding, what was hardest? he answered, To know ourselves, to whom we are partial. Being asked, what men were most noble? They, saith he, who contemn wealth, honour and pleasure, and endure the contraries, to wit, poverty, scorn, pain and death. To a wicked man, reproaching him for his poverty; I never knew, saith he, any man punished for his poverty, but many for their wickedness. To one bewailing himself that he should not die in his own country; Be of comfort, saith he, for the way to heaven is alike in every place. One day he went backwards; whereat the people laughing, Are you not ashamed, saith he, to do that all your life-time, which you deride in me?

69. DIOGENES was angry with critics, who were nice of words, and not of their own actions; with musicians, who tune their instruments, but could not govern their passions; with astrologers, who have their eyes in the sky, and look not to their own goings; with orators, who study to speak well, but not to do well; with covetous men, that take care to get, but never use their estates; with those philosophers, who despise greatness, and yet court great men; and with those that sacrifice for health, and yet surfeit themselves with eating their sacrifices. Discoursing of the nature, pleasure and reward of virtue, and the people not regarding what he said, he fell a singing; at which every one pressed to hear: whereupon he cried out in abhorrence of their stupidity, "How much more is the world in love with folly, than with wisdom!" Seeing a man sprinkling himself with water, after hav- 70. CRATES, a Theban, famous for his selfing done some ill thing; Unhappy man! saith denial and virtue; descended from the house he, dost thou not know that the errors of life of Alexander, of great estate, at least two are not to be washed away with water? To hundred talents, which he distributed mostly one who said, Life is an ill thing; he an- among the poor citizens, and became a conswered, Life is not an ill thing; but an ill life stant professor of the Cynick philosophy. is an ill thing. He was very temperate, for He exceedingly inveighed against common his bed and his table he found everywhere. women. Seeing at Delphos a golden image, One seeing him wash herbs, said, If thou that Phryne, the courtezan, had set up, by the hadst followed Dionysius, king of Sicily, thou gains of her trade, he cried out, This is a wouldest not have needed to have washed trophy of the Greeks' intemperance. Seeing herbs: he answered, If thou hadst washed a young man highly fed, and fat; Unhappy herbs, thou needest not to have followed Dio-youth, saith he, do not fortify thy prison. To nysius. He lighted a candle at noon, saying, another followed by a great many parasites; I look for a man; implying, that the world Young man, saith he, I am sorry to see thee was darkened by vice, and men effeminated. so much alone. Walking one day upon the A luxurious person, who had wasted his exchange, where he beheld people mighty busy means, supping upon olives; he said to him, after their divers callings; These people, saith If thou hadst used to dine so, thou wouldst he, think themselves happy; but I am happy not have needed to sup so. To a young man that have nothing to do with them: for my dressing himself neatly, If this be for the sake happiness is in poverty, not in riches.* of men, thou art unhappy; if for women, thou men do not know how much a wallet, a meaart unjust. Another time, seeing an effemi- sure of lupins, with security, is worth. Of nate young man; Art thou not ashamed, saith his wife, Hipparchia, a woman of wealth and he, to use thyself worse than nature hath extraction, but nobler for her love to true made thee? she hath made thee a man, but philosophy, and how they came together, thou wilt force thyself to be a woman. To there will be occasion to make mention in one who courted a bad woman; O wretch! its place. said he, what meanest thou, to ask for that which is better lost than found? To one that smelled of sweet unguents, Have a care, saith he, this perfume make not thy life stink. He compared covetous men to such as have the dropsy: Those are full of money, yet desire more these of water, yet thirst for more. Being asked, What beasts were the worst? In the field, saith he, bears and lions; in the city, usurers and flatterers. At a feast, one giving

Oh!

71. ARISTOTLE, a scholar to Plato, and the oracle of philosophy to these very times, though not so divinely contemplative as his master, nevertheless follows him in this; That luxury should by good discipline be exiled human societies. Aristotle seeing a youth gazing on his fine cloak, said to him, Why dost thou boast of a sheep's fleece? He

*Laert.

Stob. Strom. 45.

lightly over a kennel; That man, saith he, The other by Xenodotus, the Stoic, thus:—

and skill. Nature sufficeth to that which she requireth.

Appetite hath revolted from nature, which continually inciteth itself, and increases with the ages, helping vice by wit. First, it began to desire superfluous, then contrary things; last of all, it sold the mind to the body, and commanded it to serve the lusts thereof. All these arts, wherewith the city is continually set at work, and maketh such a stir, do centre in the affairs of the body, to which all things were once performed as to a servant, but now are provided as for a lord. Hence the shops of engravers, perfumers, &c., of those that teach effeminate motions of the body, and vain and wanton songs: for natural behaviour is despised, which satisfied desires with necessary help: now it is clownishness and illbreeding, to be contented with as much as is requisite. What shall I speak of rich marbles, curiously wrought, wherewith temples and houses do shine? what of stately galleries and rich furniture? These are but the devices of most vile slaves, the inventions of men, not of wise men: for wisdom sits deeper; it is the mistress of the mind. Wilt thou know what things she hath found out, what she hath made? Not unseemly motions of the body, nor variable singing by trumpet or flute; nor yet weapons, wars, or fortifications; she endeavoureth profitable things; she favours peace, and calls all mankind to an agreement; she leadeth to a blessed estate; she openeth the way to it, and shows what is evil from what is good, and chaseth vanity out of the mind; she giveth solid greatness, but debaseth that which is puffed up, and would be seen of men; she bringeth forth the "Image of God to be seen in the souls of men ;" and so from corporeal, she translateth into incorporeal things. Thus in the ninetieth epistle to Lucilius:

not the colours of the garments, wherewith their bodies are clothed; I trust not mine eyes to inform me what a man is; I have a better and truer light, whereby I can distinguish truth from falsehood. Let the soul find out the good of the soul. If once she may have leisure to withdraw into herself, oh! how will she confess, I wish all I have done were undone, and all I have said, when I recollect it; I am ashamed of it, when I now hear the like in others. These things below, whereat we gaze, and whereat we stay, and which one man with admiration shows unto another, do outwardly shine, but are inwardly empty. Let us seek out somewhat that is good, not in appearance, but solid, united and best, in that which least appears: let us discover this. Neither is it far from us; we shall find it, if we seek it. For it is wisdom, not to wander from that immortal nature, but to form ourselves according to his law and example. Blessed is the man who judgeth rightly: blessed is he who is contented with his present condition: and blessed is he who giveth ear to that immortal principle, in the government of his life."

An whole volume of these excellent things hath he written. No wonder a man of his doctrine and life, escaped not the cruelty of brutish Nero, under whom he suffered death; as also did the apostle Paul, with whom, it is said, Seneca had conversed. When Nero's messenger brought him the news that he was to die; with a composed and undaunted countenance he received the errand, and presently called for pen, ink and paper, to write his last will and testament; which the captain refusing, he turned towards his friends, and took his leave thus: Since, my loving friends, I cannot bequeath you any other thing in acknowledgment of what I owe you, I leave you at least the richest and best portion I To Gallio he writes thus: "All men, have, that is, The image of my manners and brother Gallio, are desirous to live happy; life; which doing, you will obtain true happiyet blind to the means of that blessedness, as ness. His friends showing great trouble for long as we wander hither and thither, and the loss of him, where, saith he, are those follow not our guide, but the dissonant clam- memorable precepts of philosophy; and what our of those that call on us to undertake is become of those provisions, which for so different ways. Our short life is wearied and worn away amongst errors, although we labour to get us a good mind. There is nothing therefore to be more avoided, than following the multitude without examination, and believing anything without judging. Let us inquire what is best to be done, not what is most usually done; and what planteth us in the possession of eternal felicity; not what is ordinarily allowed of by the multitude, which is the worst interpreter of truth. I call the multitude as well those that are clothed in white, as those in other colours: for I examine

many years together we have laid up against the brunts and afflictions of providence? Was Nero's cruelty unknown to us? What could we expect better at his hands, who killed his brother, and murdered his mother, but that he would also put his tutor and governor to death? Then turning to his wife, Pompeja Paulina, a Roman lady, young and noble, he besought her, for the love she bore him and his philosophy, to suffer patiently his affliction; For, saith he, my hour is come, wherein I must show, not only by discourse, but by death, the fruit I have reaped by my meditations.