Chapter 13

A bad neighbour is as great a misfortune as a good one is a great blessing.“Works and Days,” Line 346,—Hesiod.

A bad neighbour is as great a misfortune as a good one is a great blessing.

“Works and Days,” Line 346,—Hesiod.

Hesiod, a renowned Greek poet, born at Ascra in Bœotia, and lived in the ninth century (?), B.C. Among his writings are the: “Theogony,” “Works and Days,” “The Shield of Hercules,” etc.

“The Homeric Poems are the earliest literary product of the world which has survived to our day, and they lie at the fountain-head of all the later literature of Europe.”

Homer, the greatest of epic poets, author of the “Iliad” and “Odyssey.” The date of his birth has never been known, but is generally set at the eighth or ninth century B.C.

The fox said the grapes were sour.—Æsop.

The fox said the grapes were sour.

—Æsop.

Æsop, a famous Greek fabulist, lived in the seventh century, B.C.

Procure not friends in haste, and when thou hast a friend part not with him in haste.—Solon.

Procure not friends in haste, and when thou hast a friend part not with him in haste.

—Solon.

Solon, the renowned Athenian legislator, lived about 638-559 B.C. The constitution which he gave to Athens, made him famous.

What is beautiful is good, and who is good will soon also be beautiful.—Sappho.

What is beautiful is good, and who is good will soon also be beautiful.

—Sappho.

Sappho, a celebrated Greek poet, was born in the Island of Lesbos, about 612 B.C. Little is known of her life. Only fragments of her poems remain. We have in complete form a “Hymn to Aphrodite” and an “Ode to a Beautiful Girl.”

Wine is wont to show the mind of man.“Maxims,” Line 500,—Theognis.

Wine is wont to show the mind of man.

“Maxims,” Line 500,—Theognis.

Theognis of Megara, a famous Greek elegiac poet, flourished in the latter half of the sixth century B.C. Over one thousand of his verses have come down to our time.

With the exception of Heraclitus, Parmenides is the greatest of the pre-Socratic Greek thinkers.—Parmenides.

With the exception of Heraclitus, Parmenides is the greatest of the pre-Socratic Greek thinkers.

—Parmenides.

Parmenides, a celebrated Greek philosopher of the fifth century B.C., was born at Elea in Southern Italy. He wrote one famous work on philosophy entitled: “On Nature.” It was divided into three sections, “Proem,” “Truth,” and “Opinion,” but only fragments of this work have come down to our time.

A lip like Persuasion’s calling on us to kiss it.—Anacreon.

A lip like Persuasion’s calling on us to kiss it.

—Anacreon.

Anacreon, a famous lyric poet, of Greece, was born at Teos, in Ionia, 562 (?) B.C., and died 477 B.C. A few of his authentic compositions have come down to our times.

We count it death to falter, not to die.Jacobs I. 63, 20,—Simonides.

We count it death to falter, not to die.

Jacobs I. 63, 20,—Simonides.

Simonides, a renowned Greek lyric poet, was born in the Island of Ceos about 556 B.C., and died about 468 B.C.Some of his famous “Epigrams,” have come down to our times.

By nature men are nearly alike; by practice they get to be wide apart.—Confucius.

By nature men are nearly alike; by practice they get to be wide apart.

—Confucius.

Confucius, the head of Chinese religious and social philosophy, was born about 551 B.C., and died 478 B.C. He wrote: “Analects,” etc., and is credited with having compiled the “Ancient Poems.” His last work is called “Annals of Lee” or “Spring and Autumn.”

Much knowledge of things divine escapes us through want of faith.—Heraclitus.

Much knowledge of things divine escapes us through want of faith.

—Heraclitus.

Heraclitus, a renowned Greek philosopher, born in Ephesus, about 535 B.C., died about 475 B.C.

Time as he grows old teaches many lessons.“Prometheus,” 981,—Æschylus.

Time as he grows old teaches many lessons.

“Prometheus,” 981,—Æschylus.

Æschylus, the greatest of the Greek dramatists, was born at Eleusis, Attica, 525 B.C., and died at Gela, Sicily, 456 B.C. Of his numerous works only seven tragedies remain, “The Suppliants,” “The Persians,” “The Seven Against Thebes,” “Prometheus Bound,” “Agamemnon,” “Choephori,” and “Eumenides.”

He is gifted with genius who knoweth much by natural talent.—Pindar.

He is gifted with genius who knoweth much by natural talent.

—Pindar.

Pindar, the greatest of the Greek lyric poets, was born at Cynoscephalæ near Bœotian Thebes, 522 B.C., and died at Argos, about 450 B.C. The Alexandrine scholars divided his poems into 17 books, comprising Hymns, Pæans, Dithyrambs, Encomia, and Songs of Victory.

Fortune is not on the side of the faint-hearted.—Sophocles.

Fortune is not on the side of the faint-hearted.

—Sophocles.

Sophocles, the great Greek tragic poet, was born at Colonus near Athens, about 495 B.C.; and died about 405 B.C. His seven great tragedies are: “Antigone,” “Electra,” “Ajax,” “Trachiniæ,” “Philoctetes,” “Œdipus Tyrannus,” and “Œdipus at Colonus.”

The saying “Call no man happy before he dies” was ascribed to Solon.—Herodotus, I, 32.

The saying “Call no man happy before he dies” was ascribed to Solon.

—Herodotus, I, 32.

Herodotus, “The Father of History,” was born at Halicarnassus, in Caria, about 490 B.C., and died at Thurii, in Magna Græcia, between 428 B.C. and 426 B.C. His “Exposition of History” in nine books, won for him everlasting fame.

Moderation, the noblest gift of Heaven.“Medea,” 636,—Euripides.

Moderation, the noblest gift of Heaven.

“Medea,” 636,—Euripides.

Euripides, a great Greek tragic poet, was born at Athens, about 480 B.C., and died about 406 B.C. Nineteen of his dramas have come down to our time: “Alcestis,” “Andromache,” “Hecube,” “Bacchæ,” “Helena,” “Electra,” “Heraclidæ,” “The Mad Hercules,” “The Suppliants,” “Hippolytus,” “Iphigenia at Tauris,” “Ion,” “Iphigenia at Aulis,” “Medea,” “Orestes,” “Rhesus,” “The Trojan Women,” “The Phœnissæ,” and “Cyclops.”

Extreme remedies are very appropriate for extreme diseases.Aphorism i,—Hippocrates.

Extreme remedies are very appropriate for extreme diseases.

Aphorism i,—Hippocrates.

Hippocrates, a noted Greek philosopher and writer, termed the “Father of Medicine,” was born according to Soranus, in Cos, in the first year of the 80th Olimpiad,i.e., in 460 B.C. The earliest Greek edition of the Hippocratic writings is that which was published by Aldus and Asulanus at Venice in 1526.

You think that upon the score of fore-knowledge and divining I am infinitely inferior to the swans. When they perceive approaching death they sing more merrily than before, because of the joy they have in going to the God they serve.“In Phaedo,” 77,—Socrates.

“In Phaedo,” 77,—Socrates.

Socrates, the renowned Athenian philosopher, was born at Athens, about 470 B.C., and died 399 B.C. He left no writings, but his philosophical method and his teaching are to be found in the works of his contemporaries and disciples.

Envy doth merit like its shade pursue.—Aristophanes.

Envy doth merit like its shade pursue.

—Aristophanes.

Aristophanes, the greatest of the Greek writers of comedy, (448-380 B.C.), was born at Athens. Only eleven of his 44 plays have come down to us. They are: “The Knights,” “The Clouds,” “The Wasps,” “The Acharnians,” “The Peace,” “The Lyristrate,” “The Birds,” “The Thesmophoriazusæ,” “The Frogs,” “The Ecclesiazusæ,” and “Plutus.”

Trees and fields tell me nothing, men are my teachers.—Plato.

Trees and fields tell me nothing, men are my teachers.

—Plato.

Plato, the renowned Greek philosopher, was born at Athens, about 427 B.C., and died there 347 B.C. Among his famous dialogues are: “Apology,” “Lysis,” “Charmides,” “Laches,” “Protagoras,” “Meno,” “Gorgias,” “Io,” “Euthyphro,” “Crito,” “Phædrus,” “The Sophist,” “The Politician,” “Parmenides,” “Symposium,” “Phædo,” “The Republic,” “The Laws,” etc.

Excess of grief for the deceased is madness; for it is an injury to the living, and the dead know it not.—Xenophon.

Excess of grief for the deceased is madness; for it is an injury to the living, and the dead know it not.

—Xenophon.

Xenophon, a famous Greek author, was born at Athens, about 430 B.C., and died in Corinth, about 355 B.C. He is the author of: “Encomium of Agesilaus,” “Horsemanship,” “Hipparchicus,” “Cynegeticus,” “Cyropædeia,” “Lacedæmonian Polity,” “Hieron,” “Athenian Finance,” “Symposium,” “Apology of Socrates,” “Œconomicus,” and his most celebrated works, the “Hellenics” and “Anabasis.”

Our Theocritus, our Bion,And our Pindar’s shining goals!—These were cup-bearers undying,Of the wine that’s meant for souls.“Wine of Cyprus,”—E. B. Browning.

Our Theocritus, our Bion,And our Pindar’s shining goals!—These were cup-bearers undying,Of the wine that’s meant for souls.

“Wine of Cyprus,”—E. B. Browning.

Theocritus, the greatest of Greek bucolic poets, lived in the first half of the third century B.C. Thirty-one of his idyls and pastorals and a number of his epigrams have been preserved.

No excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of madness.—Aristotle.

No excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of madness.

—Aristotle.

Aristotle, the most renowned of Greek philosophers, was born at Stagira, Macedonia, 384 B.C., and died at Chalcis, Eubœa, 322 B.C. He wrote numerous treatises on philosophy.

There is one safeguard known generally to the wise, which is an advantage and security to all, but especially to democracies as against despots. What is it? Distrust.“Philippic 2,” Sect. 24,—Demosthenes.

There is one safeguard known generally to the wise, which is an advantage and security to all, but especially to democracies as against despots. What is it? Distrust.

“Philippic 2,” Sect. 24,—Demosthenes.

Demosthenes, a renowned Athenian orator, was born about 384 B.C., and died at Calauria, 322 B.C. Besides his numerous orations, he wrote the “Olynthiacs” and the “Philippics,” and his great speech, “On the Crown.”

Amnesty, that noble word, the genuine dictate of wisdom.—Æschines.

Amnesty, that noble word, the genuine dictate of wisdom.

—Æschines.

Æschines, a great Athenian orator, rival of Demosthenes, lived 389-314 B.C.

A good man never dies.“Epigrams,” X,—Callimachus.

A good man never dies.

“Epigrams,” X,—Callimachus.

Callimachus, a renowned Greek poet, born in Cyrene, flourished in the third century B.C. Besides his tragedies, comedies, elegies and hymns, he wrote the epics, “Hecale” and “Galatea,” a “Hymn to Jupiter,” and an “Epitaph on Heracleitus.”

Patience is the best remedy for every trouble.“Rudens,” Act II, Sc. 5, 71,—Plautus.

Patience is the best remedy for every trouble.

“Rudens,” Act II, Sc. 5, 71,—Plautus.

Titus Maccius Plautus, a celebrated Roman comic poet, was born at Sarsina in Umbria, about 254 B.C., and died at Rome about 184 B.C. His “Captives” has been declared “the best constructed drama in existence.”

Buy not what you need, but what you must have; what you do not need is dear at a penny.—Cato.

Buy not what you need, but what you must have; what you do not need is dear at a penny.

—Cato.

Marcus Porcius Cato, the Censor, a famous Roman statesman and pamphleteer (234-149 B.C.) He wrote many tractates on different subjects, but only one of them, “On Farming,” has come down to our times. Of “Beginnings” we have only a few fragments.

“Polybius of Megalopolis in Arcadia must rank as the third Greek historian, Herodotus and Thucydides being first and second.”

Polybius, a celebrated Greek historian, was born at Megalopolis in Arcadia, 204 B.C., and died 122 B.C. His “Histories,” won for him great fame.

The quarrels of lovers are the renewal of love.“Andria,” Act III, Sc. 3, 23,—Terence.

The quarrels of lovers are the renewal of love.

“Andria,” Act III, Sc. 3, 23,—Terence.

Terence, the renowned Latin writer of comedy, was born at Carthage, about 185 B.C., and died about 159 B.C. Among his writings are: “Andria,” “Hecyra,” “Heautontimorumenos,” “Eunuchus,” “Phormio,” and “Adelphi.”

While the sick man has life there is hope.“Epistolarum ad Atticum,”—Cicero.

While the sick man has life there is hope.

“Epistolarum ad Atticum,”—Cicero.

Marcus Tullius Cicero, the prince of Roman orators, a distinguished writer on philosophy, rhetoric, morals, etc., was born at Arpinum, 106 B.C., and died 43 B.C. Among his treatises on the art of oratory are: “The Orator, to Marcus Brutus,” “Of the Orator,” and “Brutus, or of Illustrious Orators.” His philosophical writings include: “The Academics,” “Tusculan Disputations,” “Of Definitions of Good and Evil.” Of discussions of moral questions, we have the practical treatise, “Of Mutual Offices.” Theological questions are examined in the two treatises, “Of Divinations” and “Of the Nature of the Gods”; also the treatises, “Of Old Age,” “Of Friendship,” “Of Consolation.” The letters of Cicero are extant to the number of 864, under the titles: “To Intimate Friends” (16 books), “To Atticus” (also 16 books), “To Quintus,” his brother, (3 books), and “Correspondence with M. Brutus” (in 2 books).

Wine and other luxuries have a tendency to enervate the mind and make men less brave in battle.—Cæsar.

Wine and other luxuries have a tendency to enervate the mind and make men less brave in battle.

—Cæsar.

Caius Julius Cæsar, the great Roman general and writer of memoirs, was probably born about 100 B.C.; killed March 15, 44 B.C. Besides his famous “Commentaries,” he wrote a grammatical treatise, “On Analogy,” but it has not come down to our times.

What is food to one man may be fierce poison to others.“De Rerum Natura,” IV, 637,—Lucretius.

What is food to one man may be fierce poison to others.

“De Rerum Natura,” IV, 637,—Lucretius.

Titus Lucretius Carus, a renowned Roman poet, was born about 98 B.C., and died 55 B.C. His one work, “On Nature,” in six books, is considered one of the greatest of Latin didactic poems.

I hate and love—the why I cannot tell But by my tortures know the fact too well.“Two Chords,” (translation of Sir Theodore Martin),—Catullus.

I hate and love—the why I cannot tell But by my tortures know the fact too well.

“Two Chords,” (translation of Sir Theodore Martin),—Catullus.

Caius Valerius Catullus, the greatest of Roman lyric poets, was born at Verona, 84 B.C., and died 54 B.C. A number of his compositions have come down to our time, The most celebrated are those “To Lesbia,” “The Boat,” and “Address to Himself.”

Numero deus impare gaudet. (The god delights in odd numbers.)“Eclogæ,” 8, p. 75,—Virgil.

Numero deus impare gaudet. (The god delights in odd numbers.)

“Eclogæ,” 8, p. 75,—Virgil.

Virgil, the greatest of Roman epic poets, was born at Andes near Mantua, October 5, 70 B.C., and died at Brundisium, September 21, 19 B.C. He wrote the “Georgics,” “Bucolics,” and the epic, “The Æneid,” in 12 books.

If you wish me to weep, you yourself must feel grief.“Ars Poetica,” 102,—Horace.

If you wish me to weep, you yourself must feel grief.

“Ars Poetica,” 102,—Horace.

Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus), the great Latin lyric poet, was born at Venusia, Italy, December 8, 65 B.C., and died at Rome November 27, 8 B.C. He wrote: “Satires,” “Epodes,” “Odes,” and his famous “Epistles.”

Wit is the flower of the imagination.—Livy.

Wit is the flower of the imagination.

—Livy.

Livy, the great Roman historian, was born at Patavium (Padua), 59 B.C., and died there A.D. 17. He wrote the“History of Rome from the Founding of the City,” in 142 “books,” many of which have been lost.

Perjuria ridet amantum Jupiter.[1]—Tibullus.

Perjuria ridet amantum Jupiter.[1]

—Tibullus.

Albius Tibullus, a renowned Roman poet, was born about 54 B.C., and died probably in 19 B.C. Three books of his elegies have come down to us.

Qua pote quisque in ca conterat diem.[2]—Propertius.

Qua pote quisque in ca conterat diem.[2]

—Propertius.

Sextus Propertius, the great Roman elegiac poet, was born at Aassisium, about 50 B.C., and died about 15 B.C. His poems consist of four books.

In my opinion, he only may be truly said to live, and enjoy his being, who is engaged in some laudable pursuit and acquire a name by some illustrious action or useful art.—Sallust.

In my opinion, he only may be truly said to live, and enjoy his being, who is engaged in some laudable pursuit and acquire a name by some illustrious action or useful art.

—Sallust.

Sallust, a famous Roman historian, was born about 86 B.C., and died at Rome, about 34 B.C. He wrote: “The Conspiracy of Catiline,” and “The History of the War Against Jugurtha.”

A good man possesses a kingdom.“Thyestes,” 380,—Seneca.

A good man possesses a kingdom.

“Thyestes,” 380,—Seneca.

Lucius Annaeus Seneca,an illustrious Roman philosopher, was born at Corduba, in Spain, about the year 4 B.C., and died A.D. 65. Many of his writings have come down to our time, among them 124 “Epistles to Lucilius,” containing exhortations to the practice of virtue: “On Providence,” “Anger,” “Of Benefits,” and “Natural History Questions,” also, several tragedies, among them, “Phædra,” “Thyestes,” and “Medea.”

Habit is stronger than nature.—Quintus Curtius Rufus.

Habit is stronger than nature.

—Quintus Curtius Rufus.

Quintus Curtius Rufusa notable Eoman historian, was born about the first century A.D. He is the author of “De Rebus Gestis Alexandri Magni” (Deeds of Alexander the Great), in ten books, the first two of which are lost.

The best plan is, as the common proverb has it, to profit by the folly of others.Natural History, Book xviii, Sect. 31,—Pliny the Elder.

The best plan is, as the common proverb has it, to profit by the folly of others.

Natural History, Book xviii, Sect. 31,—Pliny the Elder.

Pliny the Elder, a celebrated Roman compiler of encyclopædic knowledge, was born at Novum Comum, (Como), A.D. 23; and died A.D. 79. He wrote: “A Natural History” in 37 books, compiled from more than 2,000 volumes.

Hunger is the teacher of the arts and the bestower of invention.—Persius.

Hunger is the teacher of the arts and the bestower of invention.

—Persius.

Aulus Persius Flaccus, a famous Latin satiric poet, was born at Volaterræ in Etruria, 34 A.D., and died A.D. 62. He wrote six satires, and they are all extant.

A liar should have a good memory.“Institutionis Oratoriæ,” iv, 2, 91,—Quintilian.

A liar should have a good memory.

“Institutionis Oratoriæ,” iv, 2, 91,—Quintilian.

Quintilian, the famous Roman rhetorician, was born about A.D. 35, at Calagurris (Calahorra), Spain, and died about A.D. 95 or 96. His great work, “Institutionis Oratoriæ,” is one of the most renowned classical works on rhetoric.

Alta sedent civilis vulnera dextræ.[3]“Pharsalia,” I, 32,—Lucan.

Alta sedent civilis vulnera dextræ.[3]

“Pharsalia,” I, 32,—Lucan.

Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (Lucan), a celebrated Latin poet, was born at Cordova, Spain, A.D. 39, and died atRome, A.D. 65. He is best known by his epic poem, “Pharsalia.”

Quid crastina volveret ætas,Scire nefos homini.[4]“Thebaid,” III. 562,—Statius.

Quid crastina volveret ætas,Scire nefos homini.[4]

“Thebaid,” III. 562,—Statius.

Publius Papinius Statius, a famous Roman poet, was born at Naples, about A.D. 45, and died there, about A.D. 96. His chief work is, “The Thebaid,” an epic poem in twelve books.

Difficulties are things that show what men are.“Discourses,” Chap. xxiv,—Epictetus.

Difficulties are things that show what men are.

“Discourses,” Chap. xxiv,—Epictetus.

Epictetus, a celebrated Greek Stoic philosopher, was born at Hierapolis in Phrygia, about A.D. 50. No works of his have come down to our time, but his maxims were collected and published in the “Encheiridion,” or Handbook, and the “Commentaries” in eight books.

The gods looked with favour on superior courage.—Tacitus.

The gods looked with favour on superior courage.

—Tacitus.

Publius Cornelius Tacitus, a great Latin historian, was born about A.D. 54. He wrote the dialogue “De Oratoribus,” the “Annals,” the “Agricola,” the “Germania,” (“On the Manners of the Germans”), and his “History.”

No man ever became extremely wicked all at once.“Satire ii,” 83,—Juvenal.

No man ever became extremely wicked all at once.

“Satire ii,” 83,—Juvenal.

Juvenal, the renowned Latin poet, was born at Aquinum, about A.D. 60, and died about A.D. 140. Sixteen of his famous satires are extant.

Never do a thing concerning the rectitude of which you are in doubt.“Letters,” Letter xviii, 5,—Pliny the Younger.

Never do a thing concerning the rectitude of which you are in doubt.

“Letters,” Letter xviii, 5,—Pliny the Younger.

Pliny the Younger, a noted Roman orator, nephew of Pliny the Elder, was born at Comum, A.D. 61, and died about 113. Of his numerous forensic works, only one oration is extant, “The Panegyric,” also his “Letters.”

To conduct great matters and never commit a fault is above the force of human nature.“Life of Fabius,”—Plutarch.

To conduct great matters and never commit a fault is above the force of human nature.

“Life of Fabius,”—Plutarch.

Plutarch, the celebrated Greek moralist, practical philosopher, and biographer was born at Chæronea in Bœotia. The year of his birth and death are not known, but he was very old at the death of Trajan, A.D. 117. He wrote: “Parallel Lives,” and many “Moral Treatises,” including “The Education of Children,” “The Right Way of Hearing,” “Precepts About Health,” “Cessation of Oracles,” “The Pythian Responses,” “The Retarded Vengeance of the Deity,” “The Dæmon of Socrates,” “The Virtues of Women,” “On the Fortune of the Romans,” “Political Counsels,” “On Superstition,” “On Isis and Osiris,” “On the Pace of the Moon’s Disk,” “On the Opinions Accepted by the Philosophers.”

A boy of five years old serene and gay,Unpitying Hades hurried me away.Yet weep not for Callimachus: if fewThe days I lived, few were my sorrows too.—Lucian.

A boy of five years old serene and gay,Unpitying Hades hurried me away.Yet weep not for Callimachus: if fewThe days I lived, few were my sorrows too.

—Lucian.

Lucian, the celebrated Greek satirist, was born at Samosata, in northern Syria, about 120 A.D., and died about 200 A.D. Among his writings are: “Praise of Demosthenes,” “Dialogues of the Gods,” “Dialogues of the Sea Gods,” “Dialogues of the Dead,” “The True History,” “Lucius; or The Ass,” “Death of Peregrinus,” “TheFisherman,” “The Sea Voyage, or Votive Offerings,” “The Sale of Lives,” “Alexander, or The False Prophet,” “Hermotimus,” etc.

Neither fear, nor wish for, your last day.Epigram x, 47.13,—Martial.

Neither fear, nor wish for, your last day.

Epigram x, 47.13,—Martial.

Martial, a famous Latin poet, was born at Bilbilis, Spain, A.D. 50 (?), and died in Spain, 102 (?). His fame rests upon his “Epigrams” in fifteen books.

Suetonius says of the Emperor Titus: “Once at supper, reflecting that he had done nothing for any that day, he broke out into that memorable and justly admired saying, ‘My friends, I have lost a day!’”“Lives of Twelve Cæsars” (Translation by Alexander Thomson),—Suetonius.

“Lives of Twelve Cæsars” (Translation by Alexander Thomson),—Suetonius.

Suetonius, a famous Latin chronicler, grammarian, and critic, flourished in the early part of the second century of our era. His works include: “Distinguished Orators,” “Illustrious Grammarians,” “Lives of the Cæsars,” etc.

When I am at Rome I fast as the Romans do; when I am at Milan I do not fast. So likewise you, whatever church you come to, observe the custom of the place, if you would neither give offence to others, nor take offence from them.“Advice to St. Austin on Sabbath Keeping,”—St. Ambrose.

“Advice to St. Austin on Sabbath Keeping,”—St. Ambrose.

Saint Ambrose, one of the fathers of the Latin Church, born at Trèves, Gaul, probably A.D. 340, died at Milan, April 4, A.D. 397. His writings include: “Of the Duties of the Clergy,” “Hexæmeron,” hymns, etc. He became bishop of Milan in 374.

Socrates said, “Those who want fewest things are nearest to the gods.”“Socrates,” XI,—Diogenes Laertius.

Socrates said, “Those who want fewest things are nearest to the gods.”

“Socrates,” XI,—Diogenes Laertius.

Diogenes Laertius, a famous Greek compiler of anecdotes, flourished about A.D. 200-250, a native of Lærte inCilicia. He wrote a collection of notes and memoranda (in 10 books), “On the Lives, Teachings, and Sayings of Famous Men.”

None can injure him, who does not injure himself.—Chrysostom.

None can injure him, who does not injure himself.

—Chrysostom.

St. John Chrysostom, a noted Greek Church father, born in Antioch, Syria, 350 (?), and died at Comana, 407. His works, comprising homilies, commentaries, liturgies, epistles, etc., can be found in 13 volumes, fol. (1718).

Quis legem det amantibus? Major lex amor est sibi.[5]—Boëthius.

Quis legem det amantibus? Major lex amor est sibi.[5]

—Boëthius.

Boëthius, a famous Roman didactic poet and statesman, was born between 470 and 475, and died about 525. His celebrated “Consolation of Philosophy” won for him lasting fame.

Heav’n but the Vision of fulfill’d Desire,And Hell the Shadow of a Soul on fire.“Rubáiyát,” Stanza lxvii,—Omar Khayyám.

Heav’n but the Vision of fulfill’d Desire,And Hell the Shadow of a Soul on fire.

“Rubáiyát,” Stanza lxvii,—Omar Khayyám.

Omar Khayyám, a celebrated Persian poet, mathematician, and astronomer, was born at Nishapur, in 1050 (?), and died there in 1123 (?). His fame rests on the “Rubáiyát,” or “Quatrains,”—four-line stanzas with the third unrhymed. Fitzgerald’s was the first English translation to make these quatrains widely known.

“Abélard was almost the first who awakened mankind in the ages of darkness to a sympathy with intellectual excellence ... Abélard was the first of recorded name, who taught the banks of the Seine to resound a tale of love; and it was of Eloïse that he sang.”

Pierre Abélard, a famous French scholastic philosopher and theologian, was born near Nantes, 1079, and died April21, 1142. His romantic and tragic love for Héloïse is told in his “Story of My Misfortunes.”

Jesu! the very Thought of TheeWith sweetness fills the breast,But sweeter far Thy face to seeAnd in Thy presence rest.“Saint Bernard’s Hymn,”—Bernard of Clairvaux.

Jesu! the very Thought of TheeWith sweetness fills the breast,But sweeter far Thy face to seeAnd in Thy presence rest.

“Saint Bernard’s Hymn,”—Bernard of Clairvaux.

Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Bernard, a renowned French theologian, church father, and saint, was born at Fontaines, near Dijon, in 1091, and died at Clairvaux, January 12, 1153. He wrote five books on “Reflection,” and his famous hymn, “Jesu, the Very Thought of Thee,” is popular in the churches of our day.

“Unless the spirit of wisdom and understanding had been with me and filled me, I had never been able to construct so long a work in such a difficult metre.”—Bernard of Cluny.

“Unless the spirit of wisdom and understanding had been with me and filled me, I had never been able to construct so long a work in such a difficult metre.”

—Bernard of Cluny.

Bernard of Cluny, a famous French monk and poet, who flourished in the twelfth century, is best known for his noted work, “On Contempts of the World.”

“If St. Francis had been less of a poet, he would have been less of a saint.”

St. Francis d’Assisi, a renowned Italian preacher, and poet, founder of the Franciscan order, was born at Assisi in Umbria, Italy, 1182, and died October 12, 1226. The most famous of his hymns is the “Canticle of the Sun.”

He who learns the rules of wisdom, without conforming to them in his life, is like a man who laboured in his fields, but did not sow.—Sadi.

He who learns the rules of wisdom, without conforming to them in his life, is like a man who laboured in his fields, but did not sow.

—Sadi.

Sadi, one of the greatest of Persian poets, was born at Shiraz, in 1184, and died in 1291 (?). He wrote: “Bustán,” or “The Fruit Garden,” and “Gulistán,” or “The Rose Garden,” also his “Divan.”

The best perfection of a religious man is to do common things in a perfect manner. A constant fidelity in small things is a great and heroic virtue.—St. Bonaventura.

The best perfection of a religious man is to do common things in a perfect manner. A constant fidelity in small things is a great and heroic virtue.

—St. Bonaventura.

Saint Bonaventura, an Italian theologian and scholar of great fame, was born at Bagnarea, 1221, and died in 1274. His real name was Giovanni di Fidenza. He wrote: “Life of Saint Francis,” “Progress of the Mind Towards God,” etc.

“To an absolute purity of life, St. Thomas added an earnest love of truth and of labor.”

Thomas Aquinas, a great mediæval theologian and philosopher, was born at Aquino in the kingdom of Naples, about 1225, and died at Fossa Nuova, March 7, 1274. Among his works are: “Sum of Catholic Belief Against the Heathen,” “Exposition of All the Epistles of St. Paul,” and his most famous work, the “Sum of Theology.”

No greater grief than to remember days Of joy when misery is at hand.“Divine Comedy,” Canto V, Line 121,—Dante.

No greater grief than to remember days Of joy when misery is at hand.

“Divine Comedy,” Canto V, Line 121,—Dante.

Dante Alighieri, the greatest of Italian poets, was born in Florence 1265, and died in Ravenna, September 14, 1321. He wrote: the “New Life,” the “Banquet,” and the “Divine Comedy.”

O, marvelous power of the Divine seed, which overpowers the strong man armed, softens obdurate hearts, and changes into divine men those who were brutalized in sin, and removed to an infinite distance from God.—John Wyclif.

—John Wyclif.

John Wyclif, a renowned scholar, was born near Richmond, England, about 1324, and died December 31, 1384.His great work was the translation of the entire Bible into English.

Who that well his warke beginneth,The rather a good ende he winneth.“Confessio Amantis,”—Gower.

Who that well his warke beginneth,The rather a good ende he winneth.

“Confessio Amantis,”—Gower.

John Gower, a noted English poet, was born in Kent in 1325 (?), and died in London in August (or September), 1408. Among his works are: “Voice of One Crying” (Vox Clamantis), “Mirror of Meditation” (Speculum Meditantis), and “Lover’s Confession” (Confessio Amantis).

Full wise is he that can himselven knowe.“The Monkes Tale,”—Geoffrey Chaucer.

Full wise is he that can himselven knowe.

“The Monkes Tale,”—Geoffrey Chaucer.

Geoffrey Chaucer, the father of English poetry, was born in London (?), 1328 or 1340, and died there October 25, 1400. He wrote: “Troilus and Cressida,” “The Parliament of Fowles,” “Boke of the Duchesse,” “The House of Fame,” “The Legend of Good Women,” and his most famous work, “Canterbury Tales.”

Man proposes, but God disposes.“Imitation of Christ,” Book I, Chap. 19,—Thomas à Kempis.

Man proposes, but God disposes.

“Imitation of Christ,” Book I, Chap. 19,—Thomas à Kempis.

Thomas à Kempis, a renowned German mystic, was born at Kempen, near Cologne in 1380, and died in 1471. He was the author of the “Imitation of Christ,” which is said to be the most popular book in the world, with the exception of the Bible.

“The one certain thing about Sir Thomas Malory is, that he wrote the first and finest romance of chivalry in our common-tongue,—the ‘Morte d’Arthur.’”

Sir Thomas Malory, the British author of the renowned “Morte d’Arthur,” was born about 1430, and died after 1470.

“If Froissart, by his picturesque descriptions, and fertility of historicalinvention, may be reckoned the Livy of France, she had her Tacitus in Philippe de Comines.”

Philippe de Comines, a celebrated French chronicler, was born at Comines, about 1445, and died at the Château of Argenton, October 17, 1510. His famous “Memoirs” won for him great fame.

I know everything except myself.“Autre Ballade,” i,—François Villon.

I know everything except myself.

“Autre Ballade,” i,—François Villon.

François Villon, a renowned French poet, was born in 1431, and died 1460 (?). He wrote: “The Greater Testament,” and the “Smaller Testament: Its Codicil”; a collection of poems and a volume of “Ballades.”

A heart which is void of the pains of love is not heart;A body without heart woes is nothing but clay and water.Turn thy face away from the world to the pangs of love;For the world of love is a world of sweetness.“Love” (Translation of S. Robinson),—Jami.

“Love” (Translation of S. Robinson),—Jami.

’Abd-urrahmán Jami, the last of Persia’s classic poets, was born in Jam, Khorasan, in 1414, and died in May (?), 1492 or 1493. His best known works are: “The Abode of Spring,” “The Chain of Gold,” “The Loves of Joseph and Zuleika and of Mejnun and Leila.”

E duobus malis minimum eligendum.[6]“Adages,”—Erasmus.

E duobus malis minimum eligendum.[6]

“Adages,”—Erasmus.

Desiderius Erasmus, a renowned Dutch humanist, was born at Rotterdam, 1465 or 1467, and died July 12, 1536. He wrote a noted volume of “Colloquies,” a collection of “Adages,” and a celebrated satire, “The Praise of Folly”; besides numerous works on the ancients—Cicero, Seneca, Aristotle, St. Augustine, St. Jerome, etc.; also a noted treatise on “Free-Will.”

There are few husbands whom the wife cannot win in the long run, by patience and love.—Marguerite de Valois.

There are few husbands whom the wife cannot win in the long run, by patience and love.

—Marguerite de Valois.

Marguerite d’Angoulême, orde Valois, Queen of Navarre, and famous for her stories, poems and letters, was born in 1492, and died in Bigorre in 1549. She is best known in literature by the celebrated “Heptameron,” a collection of tales; “Pearls of the Pearl of Princesses” (poems), and her “Letters,” which were published in 1841-42.

One inch of joy surmounts of grief a span,Because to laugh is proper to the man.“To the Reader,”—François Rabelais.

One inch of joy surmounts of grief a span,Because to laugh is proper to the man.

“To the Reader,”—François Rabelais.

François Rabelais, the greatest of French satirists, was born at Chinon, Touraine, about 1495, and died in 1553. His fame rests upon the two works, “Gargantua,” and “Pantagruel.”

A chip of chance weigheth more than a pound of it.Courtier’s Life,—Sir T. Wyatt.

A chip of chance weigheth more than a pound of it.

Courtier’s Life,—Sir T. Wyatt.

Sir Thomas Wyatt, a distinguished English poet and diplomatist, was born at Arlington Castle, Kent, in 1503, and died at Sherborne, October 11, 1542. He wrote many poems, chiefly love sonnets after the Italian manner.

Therefore, if to the goodness of nature be joined the wisdom of the teacher, in leading young wits into a right and plain way of learning; surely children kept up in God’s fear, and governed by His grace, may most easily be brought well to serve God and their country, both by virtue and wisdom.“On Gentleness in Education” (From “The Schoolmaster”),—Roger Ascham.

“On Gentleness in Education” (From “The Schoolmaster”),—Roger Ascham.

Roger Ascham, a famous English scholar and prose writer, was born at Kirby Wiske, near Northallerton, in1515, and died in London, December 30, 1568. His most noted works are: “Toxophilus,” and “The Schoolmaster.”

Time shall make the bushes green;Time dissolve the winter’s snow;Winds be soft, and skies serene;Linnets sing their wonted strain:But againBlighted love shall never blow.“Blighted Love” (trans., Lord Strangford), st. 3,—Luiz de Camoëns.

Time shall make the bushes green;Time dissolve the winter’s snow;Winds be soft, and skies serene;Linnets sing their wonted strain:But againBlighted love shall never blow.

“Blighted Love” (trans., Lord Strangford), st. 3,—Luiz de Camoëns.

Luiz de Camoëns, Portugal’s greatest poet, was born at Lisbon, in 1524 or 1525, and died June 10, 1580. He is best known by “The Lusiads,” which is considered the national epic of Portugal.

The stone that is rolling, can gather no moss,Who often removeth is sure of loss.“Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry Lessons,” St. 46,—Tusser.

The stone that is rolling, can gather no moss,Who often removeth is sure of loss.

“Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry Lessons,” St. 46,—Tusser.

Thomas Tusser, a noted English poet was born at Rivenhall, Essex, in 1527, and died in London about 1580. He was the author of “Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry, United to as Many of Good Housewifery,” etc.

I cannot eat but little meat,My stomach is not good;But sure I think that I can drinkWith him that wears a hood.“Gammer Gurton’s Needle,” Act. II,—Bishop Still.

I cannot eat but little meat,My stomach is not good;But sure I think that I can drinkWith him that wears a hood.

“Gammer Gurton’s Needle,” Act. II,—Bishop Still.

Bishop John Still, a celebrated English writer of comedy, was born at Grantham, in Lincolnshire, in 1543, and died February 26, 1607. He is reputed to be the author of “A Ryght Pithy Pleasant, and Merrie Comedy, Intytuled Gammer Gurton’s Needle.”

I was so free with him as not to mince the matter.“Don Quixote,” The Author’s Preface,—Cervantes.

I was so free with him as not to mince the matter.

“Don Quixote,” The Author’s Preface,—Cervantes.

Cervantes, a renowned Spanish romancist, was born at Alcalà de Henares in 1547, and died at Madrid, April 23, 1616. Of his many romances and stories, his fame rests entirely on his celebrated work, “Don Quixote.”

Who will not mercie unto others show,How can he mercy ever hope to have?Faerie Queene, Book V, Canto II, St. 42,—Edmund Spenser.

Who will not mercie unto others show,How can he mercy ever hope to have?

Faerie Queene, Book V, Canto II, St. 42,—Edmund Spenser.

Edmund Spenser, the famous English poet, was born about 1552, and died at London, January 13, or 16, 1599. Among his works are: “Amoretti,” “Four Hymns,” “The Shepherd’s Calendar,” “Astrophel,” “Complaints,” “Daphnaida,” “Colin Clout’s Come Home Again,” and “The Faerie Queene,” his most famous work.

If all the world and love were young,And truth in every shepherd’s tongue,These pretty pleasures might me moveTo live with thee, and be thy love.“The Nymph’s Reply to the Passionate Shepherd,”—Sir Walter Raleigh.

If all the world and love were young,And truth in every shepherd’s tongue,These pretty pleasures might me moveTo live with thee, and be thy love.

“The Nymph’s Reply to the Passionate Shepherd,”—Sir Walter Raleigh.

Sir Walter Raleigh, the celebrated English admiral, was born at Hayes in Devonshire, in 1552, and was executed, October 29, 1618. His poems were not published until 1814, his “Miscellaneous Writings,” in 1751, and his “Complete Works,” in 1829.

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