44 ARISTOTLE. 



laudable desire of seeking his own interest by com- 

 municating knowledge to those who were desirous 

 of receiving it. 



In this manner he gave public lectures at Athens 

 thirteen years^ during the greater part of which time 

 he did not cease to correspond with Alexander. 

 That celebrated prince had placed at his disposal 

 several thousand persons, who were occupied in 

 hunting, fishing, and making the observations which 

 were necessary for completing his History of Animals. 

 He is moreover said to have given the enormous 

 sum of 800 talents for the same purpose; while 

 he also took care to send to him a great variety of 

 zoological specimens, collected in the countries which 

 he had subdued. 



The misunderstanding which had begun before 

 Aristotle parted from his royal pupil, but which had 

 not prevented the good offices of the latter, increased 

 towards the end of his career. One of the first oc- 

 casions seems to have been offered by the philoso- 

 pher, who, having published his works on physics 

 and metaphysics, received from Alexander, who was 

 piqued at his having divulged to the world the va- 

 luable knowledge which he had obtained from him 

 in his youth, the following letter : — 



" Alexander to Aristotle, wishing all happiness. 

 You have done amiss in publishing your books on 

 the speculative sciences. In what shall I excel 

 others if what you taught me privately be commu- 

 nicated to all ? You know well that I would rather 

 surpass mankind in the more sublime branches of 

 learning than in power. Farewell." 



