40 ARISTOTLE. 



of a large patrimony. It is also said that he entered 

 into the military profession, but finding it disagree- 

 able soon renounced it, and, as a means of subsist- 

 ence, sold medicines at Athens. But most of these 

 reflections on his juvenile character may perhaps be 

 attributed to slander. 



However this may be, it became necessary for him 

 to choose an employment ; and, on going to Delphi to 

 consult the oracle, he was directed to proceed to 

 Athens, and apply himself to the study of philoso- 

 phy. This he accordingly did, and at the age of 

 seventeen commenced his career as a pupil of Plato. 



Being of an ardent temperament, he addicted 

 himself to his new pursuit with so much energy, 

 that he determined to reduce his hours of repose to 

 the smallest possible limits. For this purpose he 

 placed a metallic basin beside his couch, and on lying 

 down held out one of his hands with an iron ball in 

 it, that the noise produced by the collision might 

 awake him should he happen to slumber. Such in- 

 tensity of application, in a penetrating and subtile 

 mind, could not fail to render him highly successful 

 in his studies. We accordingly find that he had not 

 been long in the academy when he was distinguish- 

 ed above all the other scholars ; and it is said that 

 Plato used to call him the mind of his school, and 

 to compare him to a spirited colt that required the 

 application of the rein to restrain its ardour. 



He has been accused of disrespect and ingrati- 

 tude to his aged master, and with having set up a 

 school in opposition to him. The author of this 

 charge was Aristoxenus, his own pupil ; but it is 

 well known that he was personally an enemy to 

 Aristotle, because that philosopher, in choosing a 



