42 ARISTOTLE. 



pupil, and the pupil of his master. In our opinion 

 the master was worthy of a better pupil, and the 

 pupil might have had a better master. At all 

 events, Alexander, who was ambitious of excelling 

 in every pursuit, must have profited greatly in the 

 acquisition of knowledge by the lessons of the most 

 eminently-endowed philosopher of his age. Accord- 

 ing to Plutarch and Aulus Gellius, he was instruct- 

 ed by him in rhetoric, physics, ethics, and politics ; 

 and so high was the estimation in which he held 

 his preceptor, that he is said to have declared, that 

 ^' he was not less indebted to Aristotle than to his 

 father; since if it was through the one that he 

 lived, it was through the other that he lived well." 

 It is also supposed that he had been initiated in 

 the abstruse speculations respecting the human soul, 

 the nature of the Divinity, and other subjects, on 

 which his master had not yet promulgated his no- 

 tions to the world. 



During his residence at the court of Macedonia, 

 Aristotle did not exclusively devote himself to his 

 duties as instructor of the young prince, but also took 

 some share in public business, and continued his 

 philosophical researches. For the latter purpose 

 Philip is said to have granted him liberal supplies 

 of money. In consideration of his various merits the 

 king also rebuilt his native city, Stagira, which had 

 been destroyed in the wars, and restored it to its 

 former inhabitants, who had either been dispersed 

 or carried into slavery. 



Alexander had scarcely completed his twentieth 

 year when the assassination of his father, by Pau- 

 sanias, one of the officers of the guard, called him 

 to the throne. Aristotle, however, continued to re- 



