8 HEROES OF SCIENCE. 



Creator." He could no more occupy time by 

 studying the structure of the flowers, plants, and 

 sea-shells, than Aristoteles could in imagining or 

 speculating on the causes of things. Both desired 

 the truth, and tried to get it in different manners ; 

 but as at the present day there are moral phi- 

 losophers and naturalists with totally different 

 kinds of mind and habits of thought, so in those 

 old days the master and pupil never worked 

 together. The master gave way to his grand 

 imagination, and the pupil was strictly a matter-of- 

 fact man. 



Aristoteles remained at Athens until he was 

 thirty-seven years of age, when the death of Plato, 

 in 347 B.C., happened. Before that time, however, he 

 had become a man of note, and the Athenians sent 

 him on an embassy to his friend and former patron, 

 Philip of Macedon. It appears that he was able to 

 serve his adopted country ; but he made a mistake 

 which all naturalists should avoid — he became a 

 politician. His position at Athens became uncom- 

 fortable, and he left the city after the death of Plato, 

 and, accompanied by a fellow-disciple of the great 

 teacher, went into Asia Minor. They were invited 

 by the Prince of Atarneus, named Hermeias, who 

 had received lessons from Aristoteles. This man 

 was once the slave of a banker, and when at 

 Athens received a liberal education. Returning 

 to his native country, he fought for Eubulus, the 

 King of Atarneus, successfully against the Persians. 

 On the death of Eubulus he was raised to the 



