NATURAL-HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS. 



Bakon Cuvier's Lectures on the History of the Natural Sciences. 



. Lecture IX Theophrastus.— .Aristotle died, as we have said, in 



the year 322 before Christ, the same year with Demosthenes, who destroyed him. 

 self that he might not fall into the hands of Antipater. After this period, the 

 'Macedonian yoke weighed still more heavily on Greece than it had done even in 

 the time of Alexander. Athens, though it retained its own laws and internal 

 administration, was, in reality, subjugated. However, so long as the turbulence 

 of the times allowed, the schools of this city flourished i the Portico, which was 

 a separate branch of the Cynic sect ; the Academy, where the doctrines of Plato^ 

 somewhat modified, were professed ; and the Lyceum, where the labours of Aris- 

 totle were continued. 



Among the philosophers of the Lyceum, the most famous was Theophrastus. 

 He was born at Evesus, in the island of Lesbos, 370 years before Christ, and 22 

 before the death of Plato, whose pupil he is supposed to have been for some time 

 before entering the school of Aristotle. His eloquence, from which he took the 

 name of Theophrastus, (for he was at first called Tyrtamus,) drew around him a 

 number of disciples, and he had, at one time, more than two hundred. It is said, 

 that when Aristotle was about to leave Euboea, his pupils insisted on his appoint- 

 ing one among them, who should succeed him in the school. The philosopher, 

 without speaking openly, said enough to let them know the man of his choice, 

 for, having produced some wine from Rhodes, and some from Lesbos, the first 

 sort, he said, was stronger, but the other was more palatable, and appeared to 

 him preferable ; thus making an illusion to the two persons, between whom the 

 choice might appear doubtful, namely, to Theophrastus, who, as we have already 

 said, was born in the island of Lesbos, and to Menedemus, who was born in that 

 of Rhodes. 



Theophrastus, like his master, was subject to some persecutions. Attacked 

 by Sophocles, he, along with other philosopliers, was driven into exile, about 30§ 

 years before Christ ; but he was soon recalled, and the person who had accused 

 him, was himself banished. Ptolemy Lagus endeavoured to attract him to Alex> 

 andria, but he preferred remaining at Athens. Eloquent, mild, beneficent, up- 

 right in his conduct, and neat in his external appearance, he gained the good will 

 and respect of every body. He died at the age of 85 years, according to some, 

 and of more than 100, according to others. The whole body of the people at- 

 tended his funeral. His house, he bequeathed to his friends, on the conditions 

 that they should not sell it, and that they should meet in it for the prosecution of 

 the study of letters and philosophy. This is the first legacy which was left to 

 the sciences by a private man. He left them also a garden, in which he had col- 

 lected a great many native and foreign plants, such, at least, as would grow in 

 the climate of Greece ; for, as glass was not in use at that time, there were no 

 hot-houses. Thus the descriptions which Theophrastus has given of the plants 

 of warm countries, lie under a disadvantage, from this want of the means of ob- 

 servation. His botanic garden, however, notwithstanding this imperfection, was 

 still a very useful institution to science : it was the first of the kind that had been 

 established. 



Theophrastus wrote on different subjects, on general philosophical questions, 

 on manners, and on natural history. He left, it is said, more than two hundred 

 treatises, some of the titles of which have been preserved by Diogenes Laertius. 

 The most considerable of these, as well as some smaller ones, are still extant. In 

 all these works, there is a good deal of spirit, much justness and elegance of ex. 

 pression, and great clearness of method. 



The most important work of Theophrastus is his History of Plants, a work 



