66 ADVANCEMENT OP LEARNIKO. [bOOK L 



Cyiiis the younger against Artaxerxes, as a volunteer, to 

 enjoy the love and conversation of his friend Proxenus.y 

 Cyrus being slain on the field, Falinus came to the remnant 

 of his army with a message from the king, who, presuming 

 on the fewness of their number, and the perilous nature of 

 their position in the midst of foreign enemies, cut off from 

 their country by many navigable rivers, and many Imndred 

 miles, had dared to command them to surrender their army, 

 and submit entirely to his mercy. Before an answer was 

 returned, the heads of the army conferred familiarly with 

 Falinus, and among the rest Xenophon happened to say, 

 " Why, Falinus, we have only these two things left, our arms 

 and our virtue, and if we yield up our arms, how can we 

 make use of our virtue 1" Falinus, -svith an ironical smile, 

 replied, "If I be not deceived, young man, you are an 

 Athenian ; and I believe you study philosophy, as you talk 

 admirably well. But you grossly deceive yourself if you 

 think your courage can withstand the king's power." ^ Here 

 was the scorn, but the wonder followed. This young philoso- 

 pher, just emerged from the school of Socrates, after all the 

 chieftains of the army had been murdered by treason, conducted 

 those ten thousand foot through the heart of the king's 

 territories, from Babylon to Grsecia, untouched by any of the 

 king's forces. The world, at this act of the young scholar, 

 was stricken with astonishment, and the Greeks encouraged 

 in succeeding ages to invade the kings of Persia. Jason 

 the Thessalian proposed the plan, Agesilaus the Spartan 

 attempted its execution, and Alexander the Macedonian 

 finally achieved the conquest. 



To proceed from imperial and military, to moral and 

 private virtue ; it is certain that learning softens the 

 barbarity and fierceness of men's minds, according to the 

 poet, 



** Scilicet ingenuas didicisse fideliter artes 

 Emollit mores, nee sinit esse feros."* 



But then it must not be superficial, for this rather works a 

 contraiy efiect. Solid learning prevents all levity, temerity, 

 and insolence, by suggesting doubts and difficulties, and 



T Xftn. Anab. ii. towards the and. » Xen. Ana,b. ii. 1—12. 



• Ovid. Ep. Pont. ii. ix. 47. 



