CHAP. XVIII. Phadon, the Socratic, was a flave, as were many other Socratics alfo. HÆDON of Elis', was of the Socratic PHA school, and very intimate both with Socrates and Plato. Plato prefixed this man's name to his divine book on the Immortality of the Soul. This Phædon was a flave, but of an elegant form and liberal understanding; and, as fome have written, was, when a boy, fold to violation by his profligate master. Cebes, a follower of Socrates, is faid to have bought him on the recommendation of Socrates, and to have initiated him in the difcipline of philofophy. He became afterwards an eminent philofopher; and there remain of his fome very elegant difcourfes concerning Socrates. There have been many others who, from a ftate of fervitude, have afterwards become become diftinguifhed philofophers. Amongst these was that Menippus, whofe writings M. Varro imitated in his fatires, by others called Phadon of Elis.]-Of this perfonage Diogenes Laertius relates, that he was born of a noble family; but being taken captive, was compelled to the infamy which is here mentioned. The fame author adds, that Alcibiades or Crito, at the fuggeftion of Socrates, restored him to liberty. 2 Divine book.]-In this book Phædon relates to Echechrates the conversation which he had with Socrates on the day when he took the poison. Cynic, by himself Menippean. Pompylus, the flave of Theophraftus the Peripatetic; and he who was named the Perfian, the flave of Zeno the Stoic; and Mys, the flave of Epicurus, were also philofophers of no mean reputation. mean reputation. Diogenes. the Cynic lived alfo in fervitude; but he, from a ftate of liberty, was fold as a flave. Xeniades of Corinth, defiring to purchase him, afked him what art he knew?" The art," he replied, "of governing free men." Xeniades, in admiration at his anfwer, bought and gave him his freedom; then, introducing his fons to him, "Take," fays he, " these my children, who are free, and govern them." But the memory of Epictetus, the illuftrious philofopher, that he alfo was a flave, is too recent to be mentioned as a thing obfolete. Two verfes are faid to have been written by this Epictetus + upon himself, • Pompylus.]—This name is generally written Pompilius, mentioned by Laertius in his life of Theophraftus. 4 This Epictetus.]-That Epictetus was for fome time a flave, and always poor, and likewise lame, are things attested by many ancient writers, and need not be difputed. They are mentioned by Aulus Gellius, who was cotemporary with our philofopher, but furvived him: who mentions a fhort Greek epigram, which he also ascribes to Epictetus himself, to this purpose: "A flave, in body maim'd, as Irus poor, Yet to the gods was Epictetus dear." Simplicius, whofe authority is very good, fays, that Epictetus was a flave, of an infirm conftitution, and lame from early age, and fo well fatisfied with extreme poverty, that his small house 4 himself, in which it is tacitly implied, that they who, in this life, have to ftruggle with various calamities, are not indifcriminately obnoxious to the gods; but that there are certain myfterious causes, which the investigation of few can comprehend:"I Epictetus, born a flave, and lame, and poor as Irus, am dear to the gods." house at Rome needed no fecurities, having nothing in it but his couch and mattress upon which he lay.-Lardner. I cannot let this chapter pafs without remarking, that the profeffors of philofophy and literature, abftractedly fo underftood and called, have, with few exceptions, in all ages, beèn remarkable for their poverty. We ought to make this distinction with respect to the learned men of ancient and modern times: the poverty of the ancient philofophers was voluntary, and often preffed upon public notice with a ridiculous degree of affectation; they were, however, amply compensated for this poverty, by the perfonal honours and reverence they received, being affiduously courted by the opulent, the powerful, and the great. This is not quite the cafe, I apprehend, in modern times. Thefe honours and this reverence are referved by just pofterity, till the objects of it are no more; and many there have been, like Otway and Savage, fuffered to languish out a miferable life in want, whose talents have been univerfally allowed to improve and adorn their country. CHAP. VOL. I. K 5 CHAP. XIX. The verb "refcire," its true and proper fignification. WE E have obferved, that the word refcire has a certain appropriate force different from the common meaning of other words, to which the fame præpofition re is affixed; nor do we fay refeire as we do refcribere, relegere, reftituere. He who fees a fact which is more intricate, unimagined, or unexpected, is properly faid refcire; but why in this word only the particle re has this force and meaning, is what I ftill have to learn. That refcivi or refcire is used with any other allufion, amongst those who are correct in fpeaking, than to things obfcure by design, or happening beyond expectation or opinion, I have never seen. But the word fcire as faid indifcriminately of all things adverfe, profperous, or expected. Nævius fays, in the Triphallus': "Si unquam quicquam filium refcivero, Triphallus.]-Some are for writing this word Ithyphallus. There were Ithyphallica carmina, and Ithyphallici ludi. Triphallus is one of the names of Priapus. In Columella, 1. x. 32, we meet with "Sed truncum forte dolatum Arboris antiquæ numen venerare Ithyphalli." There is a fragment of Varro, fee H. Stephens, called Triphalo,with one /. Claudius Claudius Quadrigarius, in his first annal, fays,"Ea Lucani ubi refciverunt fibi per fallacias verba data effe." The fame Quadrigarius, in the fame book, uses this word on a melancholy and unexpected occafion :-" Id ubi refciverunt propinqui obfidum quos Pontio traditos fupra demonftravimus eorum parentes cum propinquis capillo paffo in viam provolarunt." M. Cato, in his fourth book of Origins :-" Deinde dictator jubet poftridie magiftrum equitum arceffi. Mittam te fi vis cum equitibus. Sero eft, inquit magifter equitum, jam refcivere." CHAP. XX. What are commonly called "vivaria." The ancients did not use this word. What Publius Scipio ufed inftead of it, in his speech to the people; and what afterwards Marcus Varro, in his treatife" De re Ruftica," THE HE enclofed places in which wild beasts. are kept alive, which are now called vivaria', M. Varro, in his third book on Agriculture, asferts ought to be called leporalia. Thefe are his words: Vivaria.]-The place in modern times appropriated to this ufe is called menagery, from the French menage, which means a collection of animals. The firft Roman who introduced this fpecies of |