But if the ancients were deficient on these topics, they were not so in what may be considered as the basis of useful knowledge, in morals, and an acquaintance with the human heart. Though I confess I do not find much of ethical science in Plato, which is deserving of attention; yet in the Arλλy of Socrates, and some other of the dialogues, there occur some beautiful reflections. The morals of Aristotle are a dull common-place book, chiefly consisting, like the rest of his philosophy, in definitions. In the writings of the stoics, however, some admirable precepts are to be found; indeed we may go further, we may venture to say there is something of principle in the doctrines of these philosophers; they mould ethics into a kind of science, and distinguish with accuracy the different stages of human perfection. "It is the act of an uneducated and ignorant person to blame others for the evils he has brought on himself; of one beginning to be wise to blame himself; of the really wise to blame neither the one nor the other." Ιδιως σασις και χαρακτης εδεποτε εξ ἑαυτε προσδοκαν ωφέλειαν η βλάβην, αλλ' από των έξω. φιλοσοφά έασις και χαρακτης πασαν ωφελείαν και βλαβην, εξ ἑαυῖς προσδοκαν. Ib. c. 71. "It is the state and character of a vulgar mind, never to look for profit or injury from himself, but from some external cause. It is the character of a philosopher to look on himself for whatever may be profitable or injurious.' Without the rage for definition so obvious in Aristotle, their distinctions were happier, more accurate and more agreeably to nature. Ουτοι δε οι λογοι ασυνακίοι, εγω σε πλεσιώτερος ειμι, εγω σε αρακρείσσων. εγω σε λογιωτερος, εγω σε αρα κρείσσων. εκείνοι δε μαλλον συνακτοι εγω σε πλεσιώτερος ειμι, ή εμπ αρα κλήσις της της κρείσσων. εγω λογιωτες, η εμη άρα λέξις της σης κρείσσων. συ δε γε ντέκλησις ει, δε λέξις. Epict. Enchir. c. 66. These expressions are not just...." I am richer than thou, therefore I am better. I am more eloquent, and therefore better." It would be more correct to say I am richer than thou, therefore my property is better. I am more eloquent, therefore my language is better. For thou thyself art neither money nor language. I shall select a few specimens from another of the same school, and characterised by the same peculiarity of expression. αναλι δε γε και ζωή, δοξα και άδοξια πονος και ἡδονη, πλεία και πενία, πανία επισης συμβαίνη ἀνθρωπων τοις τε ἀγαθοις και τοις κακοῖς ετε καλα όντα ελε αίσχρα. Anton. lib. ii. c. 11. “ Death and life, honour and dishonour, pain and pleasure, riches and poverty, these alike happen to the good and the bad, and the reason is, that they are in themselves neither good nor dishonourable." Το ανθρωπινο βις ὁ μεν χρονο, σιγμη ἡ διόδια, ρευςα· ἡ δὲ αίσθησις αμυδρα, ἡ δὲ ὅλο το σωματος συγκρίσις, ευσηπος· ἡ δὲ ψυχη ρομβος ή δε τυχή δυσεκμαρτον ἡ δε φημη ακρίτον (υνελον]: δε ειπείν παντα τα μεν τε σωματα πολέμω τα δε της ψυχης, όνειρος και τυφος. ὁ δὲ βιος πολεμ και ξενα επιδημία· ἡ ὑςεροφημία δε λήθη. τι ἐν το παραπεμψαι δυναμενον; ἐν και μόνον φιλοσοφία. τεῖο δε, ἐν τῷ τηρειν τον ένδον δαίμονα ανυβρισον και ἀσινη, ἡδονων και πονων κρείσσονα μηδεν εικη ποιον]α μηδε διεψευσμένως και μεθ ̓ ὑποκρίσεως ἀνενδεη τε ἄλλον ποιηςαι τι, μη ποιηςαι. “The extent of human life is but a point ; existence is constantly flowing away; perception dark and obscure; the body delicate and allied to corruption; the soul a vapour ; fortune difficult to foretel ; fame injudiciously distributed. In a word, what belongs to the body flows away like a river; what belongs to the soul is a dream or a bubble. Life is a warfare or a pilgrimage; and posthumous fame is, with respect to ourselves, oblivion. What then is permanent and satisfactory? Philosophy alone; and this consists in keeping the soul free from injury and disgrace, superior to pleasure and pain, without dissembling, falschood or hypocrisy, and as to happiness independent of the motions of another." έδαμε γαρ έτε ήσυχιωτερον, ἔτε ἀπραγμονέςερον άνθρωπος αναχωρισμό εις την αυτά ψυχήν μαγις θ' όςις έχει ένδον τοιαυ]α εἰς & έγκυψας ἐν παση ευμάρεια ευθυς γινεται. Anton. lib. iv. c. 3. "A man cannot retire into any place more quiet, or less disturbed, than into the recesses of his own soul, especially if he has treasured up such things there as he can contemplate with satisfaction." Nor is there wanting a higher philosophy for a basis to these reflections: speaking of death.... Το δε ἐξ ανθρώτων ἀπελθείν ει μεν θεοί εισιν ἐδεν δεινον· κακω γαρ σε ἐκ εν περιβαλοιεν· ἡ δὲ ἐι τι κ εισιν ἢ & μελειαύλοις των ανθρωπείων, τί μοι ζὴν ἐν κοσμῳ κενῳ θεων ή προνοιας κένῳ; άλλα και εισι και μελειαύλοις των ανθρω Ib. lib ii. c. 11. σείων. "To depart from earthly things is no calamity. If there are gods they will suffer no evil to befal thee; if there are none, or if they totally disregard human affairs, what advantage is it to live in a world without gods, or without a Providence. But that there are superior beings, and that they regard human events, is beyond dispute." Τα των θεων προνοιας μέσα τα της τυχης ἐκ άνευ φυσεως ή συγκλο σεως και επιπλοκής των προνοια διοικόμενων. Anton. lib. iii. c. 3. "All is full of the Divine Providence. What is called fortune or chance is not without nature at the bot tom, and that connection and chain of causes which is ordered by Providence." It must, however, be confessed of the Stoic morality, that much of it is extravagant, and some of it trifling; that it is founded upon too few principles, abounds with repetition, and, perhaps, justly incurs the censure of (I think) Lactantius; that it was calculated for actors on the theatre, and not for men in the world. The most regular and methodical tract upon ethics, which is contained in the whole scope of classical literature, is the offices of Tully; this valuable fragment contains much excellent reasoning, and much sound observation; but, still it appears to me but a fragment. Whether the lively and desultory genius of Cicero revolted against the toil of a laboured, methodical, scientific production, or whether he was interrupted in the progress of his task, the work is certainly imperfect; there are several useful topics entirely omitted, and even the system itself is left in an unfinished state. In the other beautiful rhapsodies of Tully, in vain shall we look for any thing like system or method. No man, however, can read his Cato Major, his De Amicitia, his Tusculan Disputations, without moral improvement; his Letters, and all his writings, abound in animating and interesting reflections, in excellent maxims. There is a point, a force, a climax, too, in his observations, which cannot be too greatly admired, and carries the mind along with it, and which gives a novelty even to what is common-place in itself: "Et nomen pacis dulce est, et ipsa res salutaris; sed inter pacem et servitutem plurimum interest: Pax est tranquilla libertas, servitus postremum malorum omnium, non modò bello, sed morte etiam repellendum."....Cic. in M. Ant. "The very name of peace is delightful, and the possession most salutary; but there is a wide difference between peace and slavery. Peace is the tranquil enjoyment of liberty; slavery is the extreme of evils, not only to be repelled by war, but even by death.” "Sin aliquando necessitas nos ad ea detruserit, quæ nostri ingenii non erunt: omnis adhibenda erit cura, meditatio, diligentia, ut ea si non decorè at quam minimum indecore facere possimus."....Cic. de Off. "If sometimes necessity should compel us to what is contrary to our minds, we must exert our utmost . care, attention and diligence, that if we cannot do them decorously, we shall at all events do them as little indecorously as possible." In the writings of the poets, the most useful and beautiful reflections are expressed with a simplicity which delights, or a force which penetrates the heart; the former is chiefly the characteristic of the Greek, the latter of the Roman muse. If HISTORY is classed among the sciences, in this the ancients cannot be too warmly commended. To their admirable writings we are indebted, not only for the most important facts in the history of mankind, but for the most perfect models in that species of composition. The ancients have indeed scarcely been equalled in this line, and I think I can venture to say, that I have not seen the sweet simplicity of Herodotus....the dignity of Thucydides, the harmony and elegance of Sallust, or the pointed and forcible expression of Tacitus, transferred into any modern language, by their most learned translators. VII. But whatever was wanting to the ancients in science, is amply compensated in taste. Homer and Virgil are still unrivalled, and the latter of them is certainly still untranslated. The pastorals of Theocritus, and perhaps the odes of Pindar, have nothing exactly resembling them in modern languages. The satires of Horace and Juvenal have only been imitated. In every department of prose composition also, we find among the ancients excellent models. Without deprecating the merit of our contemporaries, we may truly say that the clear and energetic reasoning of Demosthenes, the full, harmonious, and ornamental periods of Cicero, and the sententious neatness of Sallust, |