MEMOIR OF ARISTOTLfc. 53 



weak or wicked judges, was not delivered in Court. 

 Perceiving that his fate was inevitable, the phi- 

 losopher stole privately away from the city, thus 

 escaping the idle mockery of a trial ; and being un- 

 willing, as he expresses it, that the Athenians should 

 have a second opportunity of committing a capital 

 crime against philosophy alluding to the death of 

 Socrates, who had fallen a victim to the intolerant' 

 superstition of his age. 



On leaving Athens, Aristotle directed his steps 

 to Chalcis in Eubrea, and in this retreat he spent 

 the remainder of his days. Here he was waited up- 

 on by the whole company of his disciples -and fol- 

 lowers, who besought him to make choice of a suo 

 cessor, to whom they might look up as the director 

 and finisher of their studies. The pre-eminent me- 

 rits of Theophrastus and Eudemus, the latter from 

 Rhodes and the former of Lesbos, were universally 

 acknowledged ; and in deciding their claims, the 

 prudent sage, to avoid giving offence, had recourse 

 to a gentle artifice. Having requested a draught of 

 Rhodian wine, he admitted it was strong and plea- 

 sant ; but when he had tasted the Lesbian, he pro- 

 nounced it the sweeter of the two thus leaving his 

 auditors to infer, in the true style of eastern parable, 

 on whom his choice had fallen. Theophrastus wat 

 not only remarkable for genius and erudition : he ex- 

 celled as an orator, as the very name imports which 

 is expressive of his divine eloquence. His writings 

 were numerous, and Diogenes has preserved the 



