SOCRATES. 37 



others. Lamprocles, the son of Xanthippe, declares, in Xenophon, 

 that the fierceness of a wild beast would be more tolerable than the 

 temper of such a mother. At the same time, however, he confesses 

 that she had performed towards him all the offices of a kind and care- 

 ful parent. 



Socrates appears to have been at all times in a state of great indi- Socrates' 

 gence ; nor was he solicitous to increase his means. He was wholly P vert y- 

 intent upon correcting the gross defects which he perceived in the 

 religion, the morality, and the government of his country ; and made 

 the pursuit of this object the sole business of his life. He was gifted 

 with an extraordinary share of sagacity and common sense, and a great 

 facility of expressing his sentiments in easy and perspicuous language. 

 Instead of following; the example of the sophists, who proclaimed their The'business 



1 , i T / i of his life, 



readiness and ability to communicate to others every kind or know- 

 ledge, he professed himself, what, in fact he was, a sincere and ardent 

 inquirer after truth ; and imparted to others the wisdom which he 

 seemed to be seeking, not in the way of a dogmatic lecture, nor of 

 precept, but bv proposing questions, which led his hearers insensibly His method 



- . * , . y: : l A S i M , . J of teaching. 



to just and indisputable conclusions. 



As Socrates was well aware that the most effectual way of pro- 

 ducing a reform in the opinions and habits of his countrymen, was by 

 communicating a proper bias to the minds of those young men who 

 were likely to have a share in the management of public affairs, he 

 took every opportunity of mixing, but in an easy and natural way, in 

 the company of the opulent and popular Athenians, of those who 

 sought to distinguish themselves by their eloquence, their elegance, or 

 their manly pursuits. With this view he was continually in public. 

 No man, perhaps, ever lived so long and so much in the eyes of the 

 world as Socrates. Early in the morning he went to the public walks 

 and gymnasia, or schools for athletic exercises ; and when the Agora 

 .(t. e., the public bazaar or exchange) was most thronged, which was 

 about noon, Socrates was always one of the crowd ; and h'e generally 

 accepted of some invitation to pass the rest of the day where he was 

 likely to meet the largest company. In these parties he was usually 

 the principal speaker. Although a very patient hearer, he mostly 

 contrived to give the conversation a turn to some interesting and im- 

 portant subject, which he enlivened by his ingenuity arid cheerfulness, 

 and concluded by convincing his hearers, without even distinctly assert- 

 ing the opinion which he wished them to embrace. 



When his reputation was established, and he was followed by great 

 numbers of young Athenians, he could never be induced to relieve his 

 poverty by accepting any reward for his instructions given in public ; 

 and in private, properly speaking, he gave none. 



He did not, however, confine his peculiar method of philosophising 

 to men of rank and property ; but took frequent opportunities of con- 

 versing with those artists and mechanics who were most eminent in 

 their respective departments. He judged that it was an important 



