INTRODUCTION 



tences are mostly compressed and highly elliptical, 

 to the point sometimes of obscurity. It follows that 

 translation, as with Aristotle, must be to some extent 

 paraphrase. The thirty sketches of ' Characters ' 

 ascribed to Theophrastus, which have found many 

 imitators, and which are well known in this country 

 through Sir R. Jebb's brilliant translation, stand on 

 a quite different footing ; the object of this curious 

 and amusing work is discussed in Sir R. Jebb's 

 Introduction and in the more recent edition of 

 Edmonds and Austen. Well may Aristotle, as we 

 are assured, have commended his pupil's diligence. 

 It is said that, when he retired from the headship of 

 the school, he handed it over to Theophrastus. We 

 are further told that the latter was once prosecuted 

 for impiety, but the attack failed ; also that he was 

 once banished from Athens for a year, it does not 

 appear under what circumstances. He was con- 

 sidered an attractive and lively lecturer. Diogenes' 

 sketch ends with the quotation of some sayings 

 attributed to him, of which the most noteworthy 

 are ( Nothing costs us so dear as the waste of time,' 

 ' One had better trust an unbridled horse than 

 an undigested harangue.' He was followed to 

 his grave, which we may hope was, in accordance 

 with his own wish, in some peaceful corner of the 

 Lyceum garden, by a great assemblage of his fellow 

 townsmen. 



xxvi 



